Another Tale of Bishonen World
by Anime Chick Authoress
Summary: Four friends are sent to Bishonen World and aim to become elite trainers. Planning to destroy that world from the inside out is their old high school nemesis, a vain girl with a trivial but deep grudge, murderous intentions, and a deadly virus.
1. Chapter 1

**Another Tale of Bishonen World**

**Anime Chick Authoress**

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****Disclaimer: **I own none of the animes, mangas, games, books, etc. mentioned in this fanfiction...damn. 

**Summary:** It's a Bishonen World fanfiction. What else is there to say? Actually, I'm not sure what kind of plot this story is going to have yet. We'll just have to see what happens as I get the creative juices flowing. Also, I would like to thank the amazing authoress Songwind for the inspiration! I haven't been able to write more than a few paragraphs of a fanfiction for about two years. I happened across her fanfiction Bishonen and Bishoujo a while back, started reading it for the third time (just can't put that one down when I start reading it; it's as addictive as sugar!) and got an idea. I haven't been able to stop writing since. Thank you so much Songwind!

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Chapter One: Journey to Bishie World

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For most teenagers, the weekends are something to look forward to. The weekend is supposed to be marked by having as much fun as possible, right? Well, Irianna's weekends are always something to dread. While most of her friends are out cruising Rogers on Cruise Night, hanging out at the mall, or spending the night at someone else's house, Irianna is stranded at home. It's not that Irianna's parents can't trust their only daughter. Irianna has never given them a reason to distrust her, as she has always been an honest person by nature. Her parents make her stay home, because they distrust the rest of the world. That's right, poor little Irianna's parents are the over-protective type. Actually, Irianna's not so little anymore, seeing as she's nearly eighteen years old. Her parents just refuse to believe that their daughter is a little girl no more but a young woman. That, and the fact that her parents won't buy her a car of her own, is why Irianna is deprived of any sort of social activity outside of her home and school. Sad story, isn't it?

Irianna tore her currently violet gaze away from the television screen to the clock above her bed. The digital face read 11:45 p. m. The girl grinned happily. Her parents could keep her from hanging out with her friends in town, but with a computer and AOL in a corner of her room, she could always hang out with them Online after curfew. In fifteen more minutes, she would be chatting it up with her best friends in a private chatroom they had set up for just that purpose. Until then, she could kick ass on Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. She loved ripping monsters to pieces with Albel Nox, her favorite fighter.

A knock at Irianna's bedroom door interrupted Albel's killing spree as she hit pause to greet the intruder. Caroline McMillan walked in, wrapped up in her bathrobe and looking sleepy.

"Iri, dear, isn't it getting a little late? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Irianna uttered a moan of agitation and stood up to face her mother. Actually, Caroline was Irianna's adoptive mother, and Lenny was her adoptive father. Thirteen years ago, Caroline had a miscarriage with her first child. After that, the doctors had told her that another pregnancy might result in her own death. Still, the McMillans were desperate to start a family. So, instead of having a child of their own, they adopted a five-year-old Irianna, who had been orphaned only a year earlier. Irianna figured that the loss of their first child so early in their marriage accounted for their over-protective nature, so she could understand why they were so reluctant to let her spread her wings. However, Irianna couldn't help but feel that that was no excuse for treating a seventeen-year-old like a ten-year-old. This made Irianna feel like she had to be a little rebelious every now and then. Her parents needed to know that she had a will of her own, and that no matter what they did, she would someday strike out on her own. They couldn't continue to baby her like they did, or it would tear them to pieces when she finally left, which she fully intended to do. The first chance Irianna got, she was going to start her own life, and be free of the suffocating life she had endured for so long.

"Mom, you won't let me hang out with my friends in town on the weekends, so I have to when they get home from whatever they're doing," Irianna began her usual litany. "I'm not about to ask them to sacrifice their own hobbies and all that to come over here every hour of the weekend, and you won't even let Darius go beyond the front door when you let him on the property at all. I thought we had an agreement that I make my own hours on the weekend, seeing as you and dad are too stubborn to let me even go to the mall."

Caroline narrowed her eyes slightly. "But why can't they just come home earlier and get Online with you then? They should be home earlier than this anyway. And you shouldn't get involved with boys at your age."

Irianna stood her ground firmly. "Their parents know they're safe. Tawny, Psyche, and Darius all have cell phones, and they call their parents all the time. And like I said, I don't like to take up time they could use on something else when I'm always here to talk to them Online, not that I like living like I'm under house arrest, mind you. And Darius is one of my closest friends. I'm not going to stop hanging out with him because you're worried he's going to try something, and he's not going to try somethin, mother." Irianna added that last bit as Caroline opened her mouth to accuse Darius of just that kind of thing. "Now, live up to your promise and leave me be. It's not like I'm going to stay up until dawn."

Caroline adjusted her bathrobe in an agitated manner and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Irianna just sighed and plopped down on the carpeted floor. She hated talking like that to her mother, but if she didn't, Caroline would still be picking out her clothes, telling her how to dress, and monitoring her every move like she was still a little girl. Irianna knew that her parents' protective nature was only proof of their love for her, but it got so damn annoying. She really did feel like she was suffocating.

Vivid violet eyes strayed once more to the digital clock above her bed. 11:50 and only ten more minutes left. Irianna returned to her game. She would massacre this group of monsters, leave the Irisa Fields, and save her progress in Aquios. That sounded like a good idea to her.

At exactly midnight, Irianna was signed on to AOL and staring at the currently blank screen of the chat room. A half second before 12:01 a. m., three other names popped into the chat room. Irianna grinned and heaved a contented sigh. Her buddies were here.

JinTamer1: You guys were almost late. lol So, did I miss much?

RickJames008: u missed so much! darius got beaned by some guy's box of old rubbers! LMAO

CoffeeJunkie3000: shut up! so not funny cuz i yelled at the guy afterward and he nearly kicked my ass! scared the crap outta me, and he was like twice my size.

JinTamer1: Damn! That's nucking futs. Why do I always miss this sort of stuff? I wanna see Darius scream like a girl, too! LMAO

CoffeeJunkie3000: not cool! i did not scream like a girl, u beotch! y do u always laugh at my misery?

RickJames008: yes u did 2 scream like a girl i heard it and i laughed so much!

YoukoOtaku01: she laughs at you b/c ur a puss and the guy wasn't "twice your size" coward! he was scrawnier than psyche and only as tall as me i could have taken him easy!

Irianna couldn't help but laugh. Tawny was the tallest out of the small group of friends, being an even six feet tall. Psyche was 5' 6" and only 110lbs. The guy Tawny had described would have looked like a collection of twigs!

JinTamer1: LMAO Darius is such a puss! He was scrawnier than Psyche and six feet tall? I bet a stiff breeze could have blown him over! Darius just can't stand up for himself. He has to have us girls do it for him!

RickJames008: we knu that already after the last time Tawny got POed at him for pulling her braid 1 2 many times. heheh he really did scream like a girl that time!

CoffeeJunkie3000: ...not funny u lot of beotches! and Tawny's scary when she's mad, after all she's got more muscles than most guys I know! i've been tackled by her in football i should know!

Irianna sighed and shook her head. Darius had made a big mistake with that muscles comment. Tawny, besides being the tallest of the group, was also the most atheletic. Tawny was a star basketball player, and she was a good enough athelete that she had earned a spot on the football team as its first female player. Tawny was considered to be the greatest athelete their high school, and she hadn't earned that title easily. Still, she got a little touchy when someone teased her about her naturally atheletic build, which she had toned throughout her years of hardcore basketball and football. She didn't give Darius any slack about it either. It didn't help that Darius lived next door to Tawny. In fact, their bedroom windows faced each other. They often crawled out of their windows to settle any score they had between their houses.

YoukoOtaku01: What was that? I'm gonna kick ur ass now you scrawny coward I'm gonna make you cry like last time!

CoffeeJunkie3000: bring it on, meathead, you cant win every time!

YoukoOtaku01: wanna bet, puss boy? don't make me jump out that window and go after your ass!

RickJames008: oooooohhhhh! Darius is gettin it now! Tawny gonna kick some ass tonight beotches!

JinTamer1: That's not good. Psyche! Intervention! Red alert!

For Darius' sake, it was a good thing that Psyche lived on the other side of Tawny's house. Sometimes, if the argument was bad enough, Psyche would intervene...sometimes.

RickJames008:crap no! im not gonna stop them im gonna watch! this is gonna be funny crap!

As mentioned before, Psyche would sometimes intervene on arguments. Otherwise, she would probably just point and laugh. Irianna lived across the road from Tawny's house, but her parents rarely let her leave the house to walk over there after six o'clock. There was no way she could prevent a beating in person. She would just have to do it from her computer. The only problem was thinking of a good way to distract them. Irianna watched insults and some rather gruesome threats exchanged in the chatroom as she mulled over the dilemna. Psyche, of course, was encouraging the whole thing, bringing up past insults and injuries to add fuel to the fire.

_"You Got Mail!"_

Irianna was startled out of her musing. She clicked on the little mailbox icon and looked at her latest message. One finely crafted eyebrow raised in surprise. No subject and no sender. There wasn't even a date on it. It could have been a virus, or it could have been some profane joke from that bitchy senior Sarah Grace. But something in the back of Irianna's mind told her not to immediately delete the blank message. There was something awfully familiar about this situation. Something about that blank message gave her the oddest sensation--she felt like she was growing wings!

JinTamer1: Hey, stop arguing, you three. I just got a really weird email. Did either of you send me a message without a sender name or subject? A date didn't show up either. Should I delete it?

CoffeeJunkie3000: Delete it! might be one of those worm viruses I had to get a whole new computer after getting a worm. i repeat DELETE IT!

RickJames008: no send it to me then delete i'm on my sister's pc and i want to wreak serious havoc MWUHAHAHAHAHA! cough hack cough owie!

YoukoOtaku01: no sender no subject? that sounds very familiar. I feel like I've read about it somewhere. I dare you to open it! After all, that computer is like five years old. It's a miracle it still works and you still have that laptop computer so try it!

Irianna mulled over the idea as the other three teenagers tossed ideas back and forth. True, she did have her new laptop computer, and it even had AOL installed on it. She wouldn't have to worry about begging her parents for a new computer if she got a bad virus from the message. Irianna liked her laptop better anyway, so she wouldn't mind getting rid of this one. Besides, she just couldn't get rid of the odd notion that clicking on that message would give her a chance to finally be herself! She had to see what that message was!

With a decisive sigh, Irianna double-clicked the blank message. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. The message had been a link that took her directly to a Website she had never visited before. At first glance, one may have mistaken it for a Pokemon fansite. She was looking at a large black and silver ball that looked a helluva lot like a Pokeball, but Irianna immediately knew what it was--a Bish-ball! This was the Website that had, in a long chain of popular fanfictions, taken so many otakus to Bishonen World! Irianna had heard rumors that those fanfictions had been written by people who had actually been to Bishonen World, but she had thought it had just been a tall tale concocted by rabid fangirls with too much time and overactive imaginations. But this was just too much of a coincidence. As Irianna scanned the page and its contents, she just became more convinced that this was the real deal. At the end of the page was a large button reading "Make Me a Trainer!" Irianna grinned from ear to ear. This was her big chance! But she wasn't going to go alone or unprepared.

JinTamer1: Remember those Bishonen World fanfictions we found on I'm forwarding you guys the page that sends people to Bishonen World. It was in that blank email!

RickJames008: WTF? u gotta be kidding me that crap's real? Hell yes i'm gonna catch me a Youko Kurama sexy growl

YoukoOtaku01: not if I beat you to it! I though that site was just a rumor can that stuff really happen? I'm not so sure about that...

CoffeeJunkie3000: but I don't even like anime! I just like video games!

YoukoOtaku01: i just got the link, and it's just like what those fanfictions described so frickin awesome! And ur going Darius so shut up and pack ur stuff or I'm gonna spank you when we get there!

RickJames008: got it and I gotta get my crap together let's all go at the same time so wait for me brb!

YoukoOtaku01: sounds good to me. I'm getting my stuff packed right now. Be back in a minute.

CoffeeJunkie3000: I don't have a choice do i Iri?

Irianna chuckled to herself. Darius seemed reluctant now, but she knew he would not regret it.

JinTamer1: No, you don't have a choice, Darius. Besides, this might be your only chance to get a decent girlfriend. Take advantage of this kind of oppurtuniy when it's presented to you.

CoffeeJunkie3000: whaddya mean by that? neway if you say so well i'll get togther clothes and crap and be right back.

JinTamer1: Cool beans. BrB!

Irianna practically jumped out of her computer chair. If this worked, she was going to be a Bishonen trainer! She was going to be in a world full of Bishonen! Irianna did a little Irish jig as she collected an assortment of clothes, pajamas and nightgowns, unmentionables, socks, shoes, and other personal items that she felt she couldn't live without, throwing them all into her large suitcase and a duffle bag. After that, she snuck into the bathroom across the hall to get as many toiletries as she could carry and all of her make-up. She didn't wear much make-up, but she had collected a lot of it since becoming a teenager. Irianna crept back into her room to pack away those necessities. Then she located her iPod and CD Player, all of the batteries she could find, her large collection of CDs, all of her DVDs, a portable DVD Player, her laptop, all of the CDs and floppy disks containing her precious files, and her extensive collection of manga. She also packed up her PS2 and all of her games. She didn't care if she might meet the cast of Star Ocean once she got to Bishonen World--she still wanted to finish that damn game! Irianna also made a very quiet trip to the kitchen to filch some snacks and bottled water to live on in case she didn't find a town right away. She stowed those away in her bags when she got back to her room. After a few moments of thought, she remembered to grab the knife Tawny had given her for her seventeenth birthday. The weapon was meant to be decorative, and the wooden hilt carved into the form of dozens of falling feathers was pretty, but the blade was also nicely honed. She wrapped it in a towel to keep it from getting damaged and packed that, too, just in case.

The teenager looked down at her stuffed bags and wondered what else she should bring. She had brought nearly everything she could think of. Then a thought hit her like lightning. Marshmallow! She couldn't forget Marshmallow! Mentally slapping herself for forgetting her little friend for even a second, Irianna walked over to the nightstand sitting next to the head of her bed. Curled up in a neat ball was Marshmallow the albino boa constrictor. Okay, Marshmallow wasn't exactly "little". Marshmallow was easily four or five times the length of Irianna's arm, but Irianna still liked to think of her as little, and she was pretty much Irianna's baby.

Irianna smiled sweetly and rubbed her face against Marshmallow's cool, smooth skin. "Ya wanna go with me to Bishonen World, Marshmallow? Do ya wanna go? I bet you wanna go and bite plenty of ankles, huh?"

Marshmallow answered by slithering up Irianna's arm and positioning herself comfortably on the girl's shoulders, her reptilian head on top of Irianna's own cranium.

"I'll take that as a yes!"

After making sure Marshmallow was dozing contently on her shoulders, Irianna grabbed her bags and sat down at her computer once more. She put the bulging bags in her lap and, with much difficutly, started typing again.

JinTamer1: We all ready? I've got my stuff packed and Marshmallow's ready to go, too!

RickJames008: Weeeeee! A Youko hunting we will go! I be ready!

YoukoOtaku01: Let's see who can catch Youko first, Psyche! Ready when you are, Iri!

CoffeeJunkie3000: ur bringing the snake? omigod but oh well let's just get this over with. Ready?

Irianna was suddenly filled with more excitement that she had ever felt. She was ready. She wanted a new life. She wanted to be free! Her mouse cursor hovered over the "Make Me a Trainer" button.

JinTamer1: See you three in Bishonen World! When we get there, we'll be the greatest team Bishonen World has ever seen!

RickJames008: heeeellll yeeeesss! cu l8tr beotches!

YoukoOtaku01: Let's kick ass in Bishonen World everybody! Bye!

CoffeeJunkie3000: I'm gonna regret this I know I will...see you maniacs when we ge there.

With a deep breath, Irianna clicked the button. She could almost hear three other mouses clicking along with hers. For a moment, Irianna's entire world went still. Then her computer screen was filled with swirling images. Irianna couldn't move anymore. Her entire body was paralyzed. She thought she felt Marshmallow struggling against the paralysis, and hoped the snake wasn't getting too nervous. Her last thoughts before slipping into unconsciousness were, _When I get to Bishonen World, I'll live up to my screenname! I swear that the first Bishonen I catch will be Jin the Wind Tamer! There's no other Bishonen I want more than Jin!_

And then four computer chairs were suddenly empty.

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Owie...That wasn't supposed to be a painful experience. Why am I so sore...?_

Irianna winced as she tried to move her sore body. However, an ominous creaking noise made her freeze in surprise. Her torso was being suspended by a strip of something just wide and solid enough to barely support her weight. Her limbs and ankle-length hair were all dangling quite limply, though. And that odd creaking noise was starting again. Or was it a cracking noise? With fear and apprehension, Irianna opened her violet eyes. What she saw made her blood run cold. Irianna suddenly remembered being tossed off the side of a bluff and into a lake. She hadn't been hurt or anything, but it had scared the hell out of her and resulted in a fear of heights. She couldn't even climb a ladder without getting shaky and nervous. So, you can imagine what kind of reaction waking up straddling a tree branch would get out of Irianna: sheer panic.

Just as the tree branch was beginning to break, Irianna practically flew to the trunk of the tree, wrapping her legs around it and uttering a small whimper of fear. She was stranded in a large oak tree, and was at least twenty feet off the ground. Broken tree branches above her indicated that she had nearly been impaled on the topmost branches of the tree. Below her, the handles of her bags had been caught on a couple more sturdy branches. Just above Irianna's head, Marshmallow was exploring her new environment with enthusiasm, unshaken by their current position. Why, of all places, did she have to wake up twenty feet from the sweet, sweet ground?

Marshmallow, as though sensing her owner's distress, rubbed her head against the girl's cheek reassuringly. Irianna rubbed the snake's skin soothingly in response, finding that the snake's presence calmed her down, allowing her to think more clearly.

The last thing she remembered was her swirling monitor, and then darkness. She also remembered the Bishonen World main page. And now, here she was, stuck in a tree instead of asleep at her computer desk. Unless Psyche, Tawny, and Darius had achieved the impossible and convinced Caroline and Lenny McMillan to let them haze her, Irianna was in fact in Bishonen World. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was indeed in a strange place. Something about her surroundings felt all too unfamiliar and somehow unreal. She supposed Bishonen World _would_ feel weird. After all, this world was supposed to be part digital, part magical, and part reality. Surely that was why she felt so uncomfortable. Then a thought struck her. None of the fanfictions she had read mentioned some weird sensation that practically made the writer's skin crawl and sent a tingle up their spine. Actually, now that she really thought about it, this sensation was familiar. It kind of felt like someone was watching her...

Irianna's violet eyes scanned the surrounding area. Besides a few birds, insects, a lone squirrel, and of course Marshmallow, she saw no living creatures. At least, she didn't see any eyes. She couldn't really hear anything either. The wind at this height was messing with her usually sharp ears. Marshmallow had apparently picked up on the girl's anxiety, as she was starting to flick her forked tongue in an increasingly agitated manner. And then, to Irianna's confusion, the snake pointed her nose into the air and gave an angry hiss. Irianna knew from experience that Marshmallow only hissed at three things: food, dogs, and strange humans. That made Irianna believe that she could have found her missing pair of watchful eyes. With an apprehensive sigh, she looked up through the broken branches of the oak once again. She screamed. Naraku, the villain of InuYasha, was staring down at her from the topmost branches of the tree.

In Irianna's haste to climb down the tree and get as far away from the sinister demon halfbreed as possible, she broke several more branches, nearly fell, scratched up her exposed legs and arms, knocked her two bags out of the tree, and scared the hell out of poor little Marshmallow. When Irianna finally swung from the lowest branch to the ground, she barely took long enough to secure Marshmallow around her shoulders and snatch up her bags before pelting through the woods as fast as her legs could take her. Behind her, she heard Naraku's wicked laughter. Then she heard quick footsteps and snapping twigs as the hanyou raced through the trees after her. For the first time since being thrown off that bluff, Irianna was scared beyond all belief. She didn't care that she was in Bishonen World anymore. All she could think about was the sinister Bishonen chasing her down. She knew that her legs, though they looked long on her scrawny body, were not long enough to outrun a demon half as swift as Naraku. What worried her most was what would happen when he caught her. After all, her capture was only inevitable.

Irianna suddenly burst from the cover of the trees, and before she knew what was happening, she had run off of a cliff. She had sudden visions of her body and poor little Marshmallow's body splattering the ground about a hundred feet below. She regretted that she would never get to run wild through Bishonen World with her three best friends. She regretted that she would never get to capture and befriend Jin the Wind Tamer and live up to her favorite screenname. She regretted that she would never have the chance to fully spread her newly gained wings.

And then she was suddenly snatched out of midair by the strange extensions of Naraku's arms and dragged toward him. Naraku enveloped her small body in his baboon skin and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from struggling, one hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. And then his lips were next to her ear.

"What's wrong, little wench? Did I frighten you? Heheheh... Well, now that I've caught you, what should I do with you? I am a little hungry..."

Hot breath was trailing down her neck and Irianna's nostrils were suddenly full of the stench of rotting flesh. Her stomach churned as a result of her revultion. Once again, images of her friends and the future that she could have flashed vividly through her mind--too vividly for her to ignore. She couldn't have helped herself falling off a cliff, but she could fight against this demon, no matter how hopelessly outmatched she was.

Irianna's violet eyes narrowed in determnination, and she opened her mouth wide in preparation to bite Naraku as hard as was humanly possible, Marshmallow readying herself to do much the same thing. The girl could feel the hanyou's lips hovering a mere paperwidth from her exposed jugular...

"Naraku! Put 'er down, you jerk!"

Irianna, Naraku, and even Marshmallow all turned to look behind them. An ordinary young woman, only about two or three years older than Irianna, was walking out of the shadows of the trees. Shigure Sohma was right behind her. He must have transformed to scent track them, because he was adjusting his kimono as though he had just gotten dressed. At the site of what Irianna could only guess was a Bishonen trainer, Naraku grinned and gently set Irianna, Marshmallow, and Irianna's heavily laden bags on the ground. That grin gave Irianna the chills, but the way the other girl shook her head in a manner of exasperation, she supposed it was just a gesture of mischief.

Naraku's arm regained their normal form as he spoke. "I did the wench no harm, Faith. I only spooked her a little. Besides, I got her out of the tree, just like you asked, and even saved her from quite a nasty little incident involving one wrong step and a cliff." Naraku's grin turned softer, if only minutely. "You can't really be angry at me, can you? Or are you just jealous that I paid this scrawny newbie more attention than you for even that short amount of time?"

Faith, the Bishonen trainer, blushed a little before turning back to Irianna. Behind her, Shigure was chuckling behind his hand. "I apologize for Naraku's behavior. He wasn't really trying to eat you. He just has to act a little evil every now and then." Faith looked up, fully meeting Irianna's gaze for the first time. She was smiling. "Truth is, my Naraku wouldn't hurt a kitten unless said kitten was threatening his life or the life of one of his comrades, me and Shigure here included." To Irianna's surprise, Naraku walked over to Faith to drape his arms around her affectionately. The two stared into each other's eyes fondly before turning their gazes back to Irianna. "So, you just arrive in Bishonen World, or did you wander aimlessly about for a few days before ending up in that tree? I hope it's been a pleasant experience so far."

Marshmallow had sensed her owner's anxiety and was hissing softly, her forked tongue flicking in and out of her mouth in agitation. Irianna soothed her with gentle strokes of her fingers across the snake's smooth scales. "Actually, I woke up in this world for the first time in that tree. When I saw your Naraku, I thought I was gonna be ripped to pieces, so I temporarily forgot my fear of heights and ended up here after what seemed like the longest chase of my life. So far, I've come close to death at least twice, once with a tree and once with a cliff. I'd have to say this has been the best frigging day of my life." In truth, it had been the best day of Irianna's life. Now that she was over the trauma of nearly dying twice, she had to admit that the adrenaline rush was the most exciting thing that had happened to her in her life. Yeah, that made this a pretty good day.

Faith, Naraku, and Shigure all burst into a fit of laughter. The Bishonen trainer reluctantly disentangled herself from Naraku to approach Irianna. One hand was outstretched in a gesture of friendship. "I think I like your style, newbie. Don't think the three of us didn't see you and your giant worm get ready to bite the crap out of your 'attacker'. I haven't come across anyone else who would have done anything besides beg for their life in the same situation." Irianna and Faith shook hands, both grips firm in the other's palm. Faith winked. "I've seen a lot of newbies, but you have the most potential of any I've seen so far. You'll do well here--"

"Irianna Gale McMillan." Irianna supplied her name easily, addressing all three people present. "Irianna's kind of a long name, though. Call me 'Iri' if you want. Most people do."

"--Iri." Faith took back her hand and smiled once more. "Yeah, I see an adventurer's soul in you. You've lead a soft life, no doubt, but your heart yearns for something more. Am I right about Iri, boys?"

Shigure nodded his head. "Most girls would have cowered in fear of someone as intimidating as Naraku. I admire her spirit. She won't find this life to be easy, but I believe she will find the challenge to be the best part of it."

Naraku was of the same opinion. "Not many people would dare to even think about biting me, girl. I, too, admire how fiery you are. You remind me of Faith, back when she was still green. Many people will underestimate something so frail and pretty. You will reward their overconfidence with much grief. Yes, you will do well here."

Irianna was shocked. Shigure's comments didn't phase Irianna, but a seasoned trainer and _Naraku_ of all bishies were complimenting her before she had even caught her first Bishonen!

_WTF? Since when am I so popular? No one ever liked me this much back home. The only people that really had any admiration for me were Psyche, Tawny, and Darius._

Irianna's surprise at such high and unexpected praise must have been evident in her expression, because the three veterans of Bishonen World started to laugh again.

Faith got herself under control long enough to look up and declare, "Let's make you a trainer!"

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So, what did you think? It's been a long time since I've put a story up on this site! Forigive me, but I've never finishied a story. I'm trying to change that, though. I've been struggling with writer's block for a very long time, so please be a little patient with me. Anyway, you know the drill. If you will, please R&R. That way I know people are reading this story and if it's actually worth continuing. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Another Tale of Bishonen World**

**Anime Chick Authoress**

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Chapter Two: Iri's First Bishonen and Welcome Reunions!

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Faith got herself under control long enough to look up and declare, "Let's make you a trainer!"**

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10 Days Later...**

_Damn it! I'm running out of time. I need to catch my first Bishonen soon! There's no way in Hell I'm going back home now._

Irianna stared moodily out into the rain. Long fingers, ghostly in the dim light of the small cave that was her shelter, stroked a sleepy Marshmallow's head. The snake had just gorged on a rather large cave rat.

Both girl and snake had rapidly grown accustomed to Bishonen World. Their only problem was the lack of Bishounen in the area. Or maybe the Bishonen this side of the river were just really damn smart? Irianna didn't know, but she assumed it was the former or the latter.

Irianna sighed and sank deep into her nap sack. _Or maybe this weather is what's got them all hiding. Rain's nice and all, but even I can't keep high spirits when it's this gray and chilly for three days straight._ Irianna sighed again, staring out into the rainsoaked forest. She had removed her vivid purple contacts, so her eyes were their natural sky blue shade. She didn't like the way rainy days washed out the color of her contacts, so she was always blue-eyed on days like this.

Deeper in the cave, a few falling rocks startled Irianna out of her sulky lull. She turned her head slightly to look out of the corner of her eye into the darkness. Not that she could really see anything, but with one ear pointing fully in that direction, she might identify the noise before she actually saw it. Irianna had excellent hearing. She figured that was the reason she used her ears more than her mouth in a conversation. She was the kind of person that stuck to their strengths. And she had learned to mentally adjust her hearing to different levels of sensitivity. She could listen to a whole room full of conversations at once and process what every person was saying or zone out the entire room so that she was listening only to the beating of her own heart; she could also pinpoint specific sounds out of many, much louder sounds, and block one or more sounds to hear quieter sounds. Irianna had won many bets through that small talent. Said talent had also kept her out of trouble on numerous occasions. Now, her sharp sense of hearing was telling her some strange things...

_Very, very quiet breathing, but from some large animal. Can't tell what, though. Definitely not the wind, though. Too regular. Some sort of rustling--could be cloth. Or maybe it's some snake or lizard shedding its skin? Could be either one. Dripping--most likely water. That's a natural cave sound I can just block out. There's the natural flow of air through the cave. I can block that out, too. Tiny scrabbling sounds--small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects. I'll listen to those, in case a creep crawly gets too close. Shifting rock, but made by something much bigger--that large animal again? What is it?_

Irianna stayed still for several moments. She blocked out the noises of her body and all the natural cave sounds she could identify. All she hear could now was that unidentified rustling, the tiny scrabbling noises of smaller creatures, and the sounds of that much larger creature that she couldn't identify. She narrowed her blue eyes. Something was odd, out of place. The shifting of rock made by the large creature in the cave was very regular, and it seemed as though it was taking great pains to be quiet. And it was getting closer. As the noise grew louder in her ears, she closed her eyes to block out any other form of distraction. Before long, she was so intent on listening that she no longer felt Marshmallow sliding slowly over the bare skin of her arms or the rock and nap sack underneath her belly. Yes, that sound was entirely too regular, and it wasn't made by anything with more than two legs. For one brief and terrifying moment, she thought that the creature might be a bear. She quickly tossed that idea aside, though. No bear breathed that quietly. Bears were just too big and had to work their lungs too hard not to breathe loudly. It couldn't be a wild dog or cat, and not some kind of herbivore, because those were all four-legged. And then there was that rustling noise...

_Damn! How could I have been that stupid!_

All the sounds around Irianna suddenly invaded her ears again, and she was hearing everything normally once more. She could feel Marshmallow burrowing into the nap sack to get warm after being out in the chilly air of the cave. Finally, Irianna opened her eyes. Nothing about her person suggested that she was surprised or expectant. For all anyone looking at her new, she had just rested her eyes for a moment. She hadn't just realized that some strang person was sneaking up on her from the depths of the cave. No one could see her hand plucking a Bish-ball from the thick belt she still had slung around her hips. Not even Marshmallow, always sensitive to her owner's emotions, noticed her muscles tense ever so slightly in preparation to sling the Bish-ball into the blackness behind her.

When the footsteps were about ten feet out of her visual range, Irianna turned onto her back, but stayed laying on the ground in her nap snack. Marshmallow nudged her foot to make sure Irianna still knew she was down there. Irianna stretched her arms above her head and yawned expansively. She muttered something sleepily to Marshmallow before closing her eyes and putting her hands before her head. The Bish-ball, not yet expanded in preparation to be thrown, had been enclosed in the fist of her pitching arm. Caroline and Lenny McMillan had never let her participate in sports, worried that she would hurt herself. That's why her parents had never known how good a pitching arm she had. Even the best of the high school baseball players were impressed by how much force and precision Irianna could put behind a ball. Once she expanded that Bish-ball, it would make as a great substitute for a baseball.

Once again, Irianna focused her hearing. The angle she was at reduced how well she could interpret the location of her target, but she would make do. She had to. If the person in the darkness was a Bishonen, she had to catch them. Even if she didn't have a Jin as her first Bishonen as she had sworn she would do, it was better than going home without ever catching one at all. She was willing to catch anyone at this point. She didn't care if she caught a Naraku, though even the friendly one that traveled with Faith gave her the chills. So she listened intently, all the while appearing as though she had fallen into a light sleep. The footsteps had stopped at some point, probably while she was readjusting herself. She could just barely hear breathing, as though her target were all but holding their breath. Then they were moving again, more carefully and slowly than ever. Even the person's rustling clothing seemed to have quieted itself. Irianna wondered briefly as to how anyone could be that incredibly quiet? How could someone muffle the sounds of their movement so much? And then a new sound started building. It was coming from her target. It reminded her of swirling air, and it was muffling her target's approach even further. It was almost as if the wind was bending itself to the stranger's purposes, creating a miniature cyclone to aide in their stealth...

Irianna's eyes almost snapped open. How many Bishonen controlled the wind? There were several, actually, but how many could control it that precisely? How many wind adept Bishonen could influence air currents to flow around them so quietly, so obediently? Most used spells that created massive blasts of air and tornadoes, but few could make it that precise. Excitement was starting to build, creating butterflies in her stomach. She almost let a grin slip. But Irianna quickly got her emotions under control. She knew from experience that, no matter how well concealed, intense emotions permeated the air and were picked up by even some of the least sensitive of people. If she didn't stay calm, she would alert her target to her knowledge of their presence. She didn't want to do that.

Finally, her target was close enough to be visible even in the dim light of the cave. They were slinking along the opposite side of the cave entrance from where she was laying. She could feel the wind from their human-sized cyclone on her face and limbs. Marshmallow was stirring cautiously. She had felt the vibrations from the footsteps as they approached. Irianna felt the snake's tongue on her foot as it tasted the air. Finding nothing but the odors of the bag and her owner, Marshmallow began to slide out of the warmth and comfort of the nap sack to find the scent of what dared to come near _her_ human! Irianna didn't worry for the snake's safety. Every person that had broken into her home ran from Marshmallow like she was a dog foaming at the mouth! She wondered what this stranger would think of Marshmallow. Sure enough, she caught the harsh intake of breath that was a gasp. Marshmallow was working as the perfect distraction! The person's footsteps suddenly quickened. They had dropped the cyclone, and they weren't bothering to keep their breath as quiet. They weren't absolutely terrified, but a large snake made anyone nervous.

The strang person was suddenly about five feet from Irianna's still body. Blue eyes snapped open just as Marshmallow bit into the man's ankle. He howled in pain. At the same time, Irianna had chunked the expanded Bish-ball at the person, beaning him right in the middle of his forehead. She had just enough time to register lots of red hair, white pants, and a shirtless torso before the Bishonen was enveloped in that familiar red light and sucked into the ball. Marshmallow landed harmlessly on the cave floor, hissing in surprise and agitation at the abscence of her enemy. The black and silver Bish-ball landed with an audibal _thunk_ next to her albino head.

For just a few moments, Irianna lay still in her nap sack. She was still seeing red in her vision, an after-affect of seeing so much light after being in the dark for so long. The Bish-ball was shaking violently, as though her newly captured bishie was trying to get out.

_My bishie? _My _bishie?_

Took it a while for it to click in her head, huh? I said she was smart, but I never said she was the quickest girl, either.

Iri was suddenly up and dancing around the cave. She did a cartwheel, a back flip, a front flip, a little Irish jig, and even the funky chicken. After ten freaking days, she finally had her first damned Bishonen! Brilliant! Not even the dreary rain could keep her spirits low now.

Marshmallow, although a little confused and still a little irked over the loss of her "prey", did happy circles around Irianna's still dancing feet. Irianna eventually stopped doing an Irish jig to pick up the snake, wrap her like a feather boa around her shoulders, and kiss Marshmallow's nose. Poor Marshmallow wasn't really sure as to what was going on, but her owner's good mood was infectious, and she flicked her tongue at Irianna's face enthusiastically. For the first time since coming to Bishonen World, Irianna was in pure bliss! Then she remembered the ball. Irianna put Marshmallow's head on her own, the snake's favorite position, and walked over to the still quivering ball. She crouched down to pick it up and examined its surface. She thought she knew who she had caught. As far as she knew, there weren't more than a couple Bishonen that controlled the wind, wore white clothes, and had red hair. And only one came to mind. She grinned broadly. This was it. It had to be him! If she hadn't caught a Jin, then she didn't know who the hell it could be!

Still smiling, Irianna stood up. She pointed the ball toward an empty space in the lighted portion of the cave. The button depressed, and red light spilled from the ball, quickly forming into a man much taller than Irianna herself. When Irianna's vision cleared of the after-image left by the Bish-ball's light, she could barely suppress her excitement. The Bishonen was nearly six feet tall, which made him about nine inches taller than Irianna, and well muscled. His wild hair was blazing red and some of it should-length. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. He had elongated ears that were pointed like an elf's, a white horn sprouting from just above his hairline, and a single fang escaped his lips. The Bishonen's clothes consisted of a pair of baggy white pants, a blue belt with a large red stone, two odd strips of white cloth that crossed his otherwise bare chest and back, and a pair of shinobi sandals. There was no doubt in Irianna's mind that this was Jin the Wind Tamer. She had achieved the first of her goals!

Jin was looking around the cave with an odd expression on his face, as though he hadn't quite figured out that he had been captured. Then he spotted Irianna. Blue eyes lit up with understanding and he gave her a resigned grin. "Guess ya really were awake, lass. Didn' dink ya would notice me takin' off. You be a sneaky one, so I say."

Irianna grinned back. "I've just got special little talents, that's all. Besides, if Marshmallow hadn't acted as a distraction, you might have noticed me moving in time enough to fly away." Irianna shrugged. "I was just lucky."

Jin shook his head. "Luck be havin' nothin' ta do wit' it. If Lady Luck be involved in dat situation, I woulda gotten away. 'Luck o' the Irish' as you might say. You jus' knew what ya were doin' is all." The Bishonen grinned and chuckled as Irianna's face got slightly more pink with each compliment. "Anyway, what be my new trainer's name, as you certainly must be my trainer, or I've jus' missed somethin' very important?"

The teenager smacked herself mentally. Where were her manners? She gave a polite nod of apology and said, "I'm Irianna Gale McMillan. Just call me 'Iri', though. I like my name, but it's kind of a mouthful to use in conversation. Should I just call you Jin? Or Jin-san?"

At the mention of the san suffix, Jin immediately shook his head. "Don' go gettin' all proper on me, lass! Call me whatever ya like, but don' be callin' me san anythin'. If yer gonna be my trainer, let's be friends, not strangers." The Bishonen grinned with that last comment. He obviously didn't really mind being a captive of Irianna's. He actually seemed to be enjoying the situation. Irianna wondered why. "Anyway, did ya not gimme a nickname or somethin' when yer Dex started blabbin'?"

Irianna tilted her head to one side and took her Dex out of her pocket. The screen was ominously blank. She raised one slender eyebrow. "Actually, it didn't do anything when I caught you. It was supposed to say what kind and what stage of Bishonen I caught. What's wrong with it?" Irianna was now pressing buttons furiously, trying to figure out what was wrong, but nothing would happen. She was starting to get frustrated.

A sweatdrop appeared above Jin's head. "Greeaat! Day one an' me trainer's already havin' troubles. What next?"

"Shut up! What's wrong with this damned thing?"

"Oh dear..."

* * *

By noon, the rain had let up, the clouds had dissipated, and the clear blue sky matched Irianna's eyes. The world seemed rejuvenated. Pools of crystal clear rainwater were scattered along the dirt road that lead Irianna and Jin through the forest. Water droplets clung to the trees, grass, and flowers. The whole forest seemed greener than before, the flowers brighter, the sky bluer, and the animals happier and more energetic. Even Marshmallow felt like some exercise, preferring to glide along the soft, cool earth and the occasional puddle of rainwater instead of riding on someone's shoulders. The day had gone from dreary and depressing to bright and beautiful and cheerful. Irianna loved it! Not even a disfunctional Dex was going to ruin her day now!

Marshmallow raced ahead of the girl and her Bishonen, pausing to drink deeply from the cool water of a rain puddle. Then she was off again. The snake's slender body made long winding tracks in the dirt as she swerved around particularly uncomfortable spots in the road. Her forked tongue kept flicking in and out of her mouth. She knew this scent, this taste. This was a welcome taste. She had fond memories of this taste. The taste reminded her of another human, a female, with warm, soft skin like her owner's and the strange male's skin. Marshmallow was racing along even faster now, excitement overwhelming her. Her owner had been very depressed for the last few days. The presence of the strange male had heartened her, but Marshmallow still tasted sadness and longing on her. Marshmallow knew exactly what she needed, and she was on the track of just the right human! This was her owner's favorite human! One that had been missing since coming to this strange place. Marshmallow was about to bring back Irianna's favorite human female!

Further back on the road, Irianna had stopped to pick a few flowers. There were so many! In her hands were several different colors of irises, a few Easter lilies, and different colored roses. Of the flora growing wild along the road were other flowers she didn't know by name that she didn't bother to collect. She had enough already. Irianna smiled and sniffed the blossoms. She had done this with Psyche, Tawny, and Darius as a child. The four of them would sneak off into a nearby field of wildflowers and pick flowers for their mothers. Irianna still liked to pick flowers every now and then. Irianna loved flowers, and the pasttime brought back warm memories. When she was through picking flowers, Irianna arranged them into a large bouquet. She tied the whole thing together with a few long blades of grass. Perfect!

Nearby, Jin was waiting on his trainer. He was hovering cross-legged on a cushion of air, his arms crossed. How was he keeping himself entertained? Actually, he was arguing with a squirell. When Irianna noticed this, she had a sudden vision of Psyche tossing twigs and acorns into a tree, a tiny squirell tossing things back, occasionally hitting each other. Jin and the squirell weren't throwing things at each other, yet, but they were arguing like Psyche did with squirells. Irianna sighed and looked down at the flowers. The flowers made her think even more of her friends. She wondered where they were? Were they okay? Had they caught any Bishonen yet? Were they still in Bishonen world, and were they far away? She sighed again. The flowers would be a reminder of her friends until she found them all. She would keep this bouquet until they were all together again. Until then...

"Ow! Damn it, ya bloody unholy terr'r o' a roden', I'll rip ya ta pieces, ya--OW!"

Irianna raised an eyebrow for the second time that day. A sweatdrop rolled down the back of her head. The two looked nothing alike, didn't even sound alike, but Jin sure did remind Irianna of how Psyche might behave in some situations. Jin was now being showered with acorns, twigs, and leaves by several large and angry squirells. Jin was just getting louder and more aggressive, in turn making the squirells more aggressive. This might go on for a while. Irianna shook her head and looked around. Where was Marshmallow?

While Jin was being pelted with nuts by small woodland creatures, Irianna walked down the dirt road, walking heavily and calling out Marshmallow's name. Calling out the snake's name probably wouldn't attract her attention, but Irianna liked to do it anyway. Walking in a way the snake was trained to respond to would attract her attention, though. That is, if she weren't too far away or off the ground. Irianna, as usual, wasn't too worried about Marshmallow. That snake was a creature of habit. She didn't like to sleep unless she had the warmth of her owner to comfort her. She preferred to travel via her owner's shoulders most times, too. The snake, no matter how many times she slithered away, always came back to her human. Irianna just wanted to keep Marshmallow away from potential predators and people that might hurt her out of fear. Of those two things, she wasn't sure how many existed in this part of the woods, but it was still a possible threat for a snake. Then Irianna found the snake's trail. She had been winding all over the place. To have been traveling in such a crooked line and get out of her sight that quickly, she must have been halling tail! But Irianna couldn't figure out why. Marshmallow couldn't be hungry. She had stuffed herself on that cave rat. How could Marshmallow even move that fast with a ball of rat in her belly? Well, she had had some time to digest before the rain let up, but not that long surely...

* * *

Further along the road, Marshmallow was rubbing against a young woman's ankles enthusiastically. There was no mistaking that taste. This was the human! Said human picked Marshmallow up and allowed the snake to wrap herself around the girl's shoulders. She tasted happy to see the snake, and was rewarding Marshmallow with soft strokes against her scales. If Marshmallow had been born a cat, she would have purred. Instead, she rubbed her head against the human female's cheek and tasted her scent happily. The human would follow Marshmallow's trail back to her human owner, and the two would be much happier! This human had another strange bi-ped with her. This thing kind of smelled human, but it also smelled like a fox, and something else still yet. Her human owner liked most strangers, which would make her even happier. And now she could taste her human owner's scent on the air. She was getting closer! Marshmallow's plan was working!

* * *

Irianna could see Marshmallow now. The snake's pale body was unmistakable. But she could see something else, too. Two people were walking toward her. One was a stranger to her, though any Yu Yu Hakusho fan would recognize Youko Kurama. The other person was very familiar, though. She was five and a half feet tall. The girl's hair was waist-length, wavy, and white blonde with bright pink streaks. Her eyes were such an icy blue as to be noticable from a distance. There was no mistaking Psyche Peterson. Apparently, Psyche had noticed Irianna, too, because she was running toward her with a grin plastered on her face. And she wasn't slowing down.

_Oh shit...!_

Before Irianna could decide where to run to, Psyche had tackled her to ground with a loud _"GRRRRRR!"_. Irianna couldn't breathe. It wasn't that Psyche was a heavy girl. She just knew how to put a maximum amount of force into Irianna's poor gut. Now the two were sprawled out on the ground, soaked by rainwater. Irianna had had the wind knocked out of her. Psyche was jabbering away and rubbing her face against Irianna's, occasionally planting a wet kiss on her cheeks. Marshmallow was hissing and struggling to get away. She had forgotten how excitable that human girl was! Standing apart from the three females, Youko and Jin were giving their respective trainers odd looks. Their antics sure were strange. Even the snake had a strange personality all its own. Jin and Youko looked at each other with understanding expressions: Whatever happened from now on, they would help each other tolerate their eccentric trainers. They sealed this silent understanding with simultaneous nods.

Psyche finally peeled herself off of Irianna and hauled the faint girl to her feet with one arm. She was still giggling excitedly. "Iri-chan! I can't believe I found you! Actually, Marshmallow found me first. Slithered right up to me. And then I picked her up and huggled her and I saw you and I tackled you! Mwuahahahaha!" All throughout her loud and excited spiel, Psyche talked with her mouth, hands, and any other body part she could incorporate into the very one-sided conversation. To say the least, Psyche was an energetic girl. "Well, aren't ya happy to see me, Iri? Aren't ya, aren't ya, aren't ya?"

Irianna knew better than to say no. Not that she hadn't missed Psyche. She hated separating from Psyche as much as she hated separating from Marshmallow. Psyche was just such a handful sometimes... "Of course I missed you, Psyche! It's just that you tackled me so hard that time," Irianna rubbed her belly for emphasis. It still hurt. "Kinda winded me... Oh, do you wanna meet my bishie?"

Psyche was instantly looking along the road. "Where is he, where is he? Is he hot? Is he funny? Is he strong? Who is he?"

Jin raised waved slowly at her and gave an uncertain grin. "Hi! Yer not gonna be tacklin' me like ya did my trainer, now are ya? Not so sure my trainer or yer bishie would be too happy 'bout that."

Psyche gave Jin a blank look before cracking up with laughter and waving a hand in front of her face dismissively. "'Course not! I don't know you, for one, and I know Iri wouldn't want me glompin' it up on her Jin! She'd kill me for sure, and short woman here can get scary when she's angry!" Then Psyche had Irianna in a headlock and was rubbing her head mercililessly. "I just love lil' Iri-chan so much and I'd never hit on her favorite bishie!"

Poor Irianna was red in the face (and not just from lack of oxygen) and struggling profusely. The constant rubbing had mussed her hair beyond all recognition. The chin-length locks would just need brushing, while the ankle-length braid was coming apart at the top and would need to be totally re-braided. And Psyche was still rubbing and had retained the headlock. "Leggo, Psyche! I'm gonna get you back for this! You're gonna tangle my hair, damn you!"

The blonde just laughed some more and wrapped Irianna's braid around the other girl's neck like a scarf. "Aaaww! Did I embarass my little buddy? Did I? It's cuz she's so shy 'round boys, ain't it?"

Irianna had given up on her dignity. She just endured Psyche's ridicule as she carefully took apart the braid, brushing it every few moments. Irianna didn't mind Psyche's teasing. They had done this to each since they were kids. If Psyche didn't tease Irianna, that's when she started getting panicky. She just got embarassed when her friend stgarted teasing her about boys. The opposite sex made Irianna nervous. Psyche, on the other hand, was a total flirt and tried many methods to persuade Irianna to be the same way. Not that it worked very well.

While Irianna brushed and unbraided her hair, Youko got his trainer's attention. "Sorry to interrupt your happy reunion, but who is this girl? Is she one of the three trainers you were talking about on the way here?"

Psyche nodded enthusiastically. "I have many friends, but my inner circle are Iri, Tawny, and Darius. Iri's like everybody's little sister in our group. She's not the youngest, but we all see her as the baby 'cause she's so shy and really super tiny!"

Youko looked the other trainer over. She certainly was small for her age. Irianna was only 5' 3" compared to Psyche's 5' 6". Irianna was a very petite, delicate girl; however, she seemed to have made up in curves and bust what she lacked in height and mass. Psyche was equally curvy but had the height to match. Irianna's hair had a strange cut: The front half was chin-length and straight, but ankle-length and very wavy in back. The hair color was also strange; bright, shining copper locks streaked with auburn and deep red framed her face and flowed out behind her. Psyche's white blonde hair was all wavy and simply cut straight. Irianna's eyes, still their naturally sky blue, were wide and endlessly deep. Those eyes were young, but told of depth that most human teenagers didn't possess. Psyche's eyes were less obviously deep behind her facade of energy and childishness, but the depth was definitely there. The girls both had a kind of look that suggested they could be trusted to no end but not underestimated. The little human wasn't Youko's type, Psyche was, but she was impressive for a human. Of course, Youko doubted that Psyche or Irianna knew just how impressive they were. Not that Youko would let on what he thought about the two of them. Not quite yet, anyway.

"Hmph. Jin could send a stiff breeze her way and it would knock her over. What kind of person is she to think she could be any good as a trainer?"

Irianna froze. The brush clattered to the ground. Psyche looked at Youko with an expression of horror.

Jin looked between Youko and the reactions of the two girls. What he saw in their faces disturbed him. A new, terrifying facet of his trainer was about to come into play, unless he could stop it. "Now, wha' was dat comment fer, Youko? Surely dat wasn' necessary? After all, ya can't be judgin' a book by its cover, so I say. Dink o' how somethin' as small as a Hiei or a Genkai can get really mean an' violent."

Youko smirked. "She may get mean, but I doubt this scrawny piece of skin and bone could defend herself in the least desperate of situations, let alone help a Bishonen train to become stronger in battle." Youko chuckled and said, "She may as well release you now, Jin, and go home. She'll just get chewed up and spat back out in this world. This little girl is worthless here and anywhere else she might end up."

All the while, Psyche's expression was becoming more horrified. She was patting Irianna's back and head, muttering contrary comments to Youko's own scathing litany. Psyche did _not_ want Irianna to go off on her Youko. The results could be disastrous! Irianna's rage, however, was just building. Anyone that could see auras would have looked at Irianna's and ran for dear life.

Irianna gently setMarshmallow on the ground. Marshmallow slid over to Jin in a panic. Confused, Jin picked up the snake and stroked its scales calmingly. Then he understood. The snake had picked up on the same bad vibes he had gotten off of Irianna. That wasn't good! Now Irianna was looking Youko in the eye. Youko had raised one eyebrow in surprise. The girl's eyes had gone from sky blue to burning red! Jin and Youko wondered when the girl had gone demonic. Psyche wondered when she had had time to put in her red contacts. Marshmallow was just trying to keep her tongue in her mouth to keep from tasting the scent of anger coming off her owner in waves. The wind blew Irianna's long hair all around her, only making her seem even more threatening.

A moment passed in which human trainer and demon Bishonen just stared at each, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then Irianna was smiling sweetly and walking up to Youko, perfectly composed on the surface. She walked right up to Youko, only a foot of space separating the two of them. Youko's senses told him to do something, but why should he do something about a human roughly a third of his size? What did irk him was that she was still staring him in the eye. Yes, she had to look up to stare him in the eye, because he was a full twenty-one inches taller than her, but she was still looking him in the eye. Few humans or demons were that bold in front of him. The biggest insult was when she started giggling in his face. Youko wanted to tear Irianna to pieces.

"What's so funny, little girl? Or did you just crack? Was this world really too much for you already?"

Irianna just shook her head, still giggling. After getting herself under control, she looked back into his eyes. There was a glint in those eyes that made Youko very uncomfortable. "Look, you're my best friend's bishie, so I don't want to get anything started, but I've got to set you straight about one thing: I'm not weak. Don't ever underestimate me. I'm the baby of this outfit, but I'm also the one you need to keep an eye on. My friends will tell you as much." She grinned and continued. "I'm shy, sheltered, inexperienced, young, small, physically weak, and worst of all, human, but I'm not to be taken lightly as a person. I've made it my personal goal to be great in this world. I will be great in this world. And no arrogant, overconfident, snide, condescending, pansypretty boy is going to tell me otherwise. Words from that kind of person are worthless and insignificant to me. Words from that kind of person only make me laugh at how utterly stupid they are. If you think I'm gonna fail, thentake upyour argument again whenyou've got some real evidence to back it up. Judging me based on my appearance won't tell you a thing about me, as that's surely what you've been doing." Irianna stepped back, her grin now a smile. "Well?"

Psyche had sighed audibly. She had thought Irianna would slaughter Youko. Irianna was small and weak, but you could count on her in a fight. Irianna had definitely given Youko a tongue-lashing like Psyche had never seen from her, though. Where had she gotten the courage to talk to Youko Kurama like that? Jin and Marshmallow on the other hand were just clinging to each other fearfully. Jin hadn't known the lass had had it in her to talk like that to someone who could have torn her apart at will! How crazy was that? Marshmallow just wanted everybody to taste happy again!

Youko was unsurprised, though. Irianna had done just what he thought she would do when insulted. She might tackle and beat her friends when insulted, but only because they played like that. When it came to a stranger, Irianna tore them apart with words alone.She didn't feel like rude strangers were worth the effort it took to so much as slap them. She was like a true warrior looking down her nose at a mere amateur, but with words and body language alone. That was why she had put on the contacts (not that Youko knew she had put in contacts, as he was still figuring out where the red eyes had come from), why she had seemed so calm. Inside, though, she was a blaze of rage and anger. If Youko had been lesser of a person, he would have cringed at Irianna'sharsh words and deadly sweet voice. Youko was genuinely impressed. The girl was a waif, but her mind was on par with his own. Interesting. And Psyche apparently knew what her friend was capable of, which said a lot about his own trainer, too. Yes, these two were very interesting. He was beginning to appreciate the fact that he had been caught by Psyche. Not only was the human very attractive, but her personality and the personality of her friend made things funner. He just hoped the other two of their little posse were just as interesting.

"Actually, I never took you for weak. I was just testing you, and I must say that you passed with flying colors. Congratulations! Now, let's stop flapping our jaws and start moving toward the next town. It'll take a couple days and I want to get to the new gym at Epoh City."

The tensity was instantly dispelled. No one objected.

* * *

Kurama eyed his trainer with a expression and a large sweatdrop rolling down the back of his head. Since being caught by the trainer a week ago, Kurama had found her to be friendly enough, but couldn't figure her out for the life of him. Kurama's trainer was a sixteen-year-old American girl. She was exactly six feet tall. Her eyes were wide and muddy brown. The girl's mousy brown hair was hip-length, curl, and very frizzy, which was why she typically wore it in a braid or a pony tail. At first glance, Kurama's trainer would have seemed plain and even unattractive. But if one happened to take a closer look, they would have noticed that evey bit of her six feet consisted of perfectly shaped womanly curves under her baggy T-shirt and loose jeans. Her muscles were toned from years of sports and vigorous activities. Kurama had to admit that he hadn't seen many newbies as fit as his trainer come through this world. Sure, trainers inevitably became stronger over time, but only a fraction of them were so fit from the beginning. And for every bit of her physical strength and beauty, Kurama's trainer had just as much intelligence and mental beauty. His trainer was simply a beautiful person as a whole. However, there were times when he just couldn't understand his trainer, Tawny Clearwater. Now was a good example of one of those moments.

"This is for that smart remark the night we came here, you frigging puss!" Tawny's fist connected with the top of her captive's head. "How dare you comment on my body, you jerk!" She hit him again. "I hate you, Darius!" Another loud smack.

Kurama sighed and stared in sympathy at Darius Shay's Bishoujo, a rather confused looking Sophia Esteed. The poor girl wasn't sure if she should scold her trainer for whatever insult he had made to Tawny or try to defend him against Tawny's barrage of punches. Kurama would have tried to defend Darius if he was Sophia. Although Darius was about two years older than Tawny, he was still two inches shorter than her and much scrawnier. When Kurama said scrawnier, he meant that while Tawny had enough meat on her bones to make her curvy and obviously tone, Darius had few muscles and just as little fat. In other words, Tawny had brawn and shapely beauty while Darius was weak and skinny.

Besides their lack of resemblance in physique, Tawny and Darius might have been kin. Darius had the same wide, muddy brown eyes as Tawny. His hair was black brown instead of mousy brown, and cropped close to his head instead of hip-length, but it was every bit as thick as Tawny's locks. And as Tawny dragged Darius's face closer to her own to continue her scolding, Kurama saw that their faces held many of the same features. Their noses were the same length and shape. Both had strong jaw lines, though Tawny's was obviously more feminine. They had the same high cheek bones. Even their lips, though Tawny's were smaller and fuller, were shaped similarly. Kurama thought that their scents were even alike, though not as similar as the scents between parents and children or siblings. Were Darius and Tawny cousins?

By now, Sophia had noticed Kurama and wandered over to him. She gently poked his shoulder. Kurama looked down at her and smiled apologetically. "Our trainer's must know each other from their previous world. It's too bad that they seem to have a score to settle. We could have been camping by now."

The Star Ocean Bishoujo nodded her agreement. "I know what you mean. I certainly would like to rest my feet, but how are we going to get them to stop fighting?" She nodded in the direction of the two trainers. Tawny had held Darius away to continue hitting him again. The older boy looked like he was about to be in tears. "They're like cats and dogs. And I don't want to get in the middle of that."

Kurama made one of his classic faces ofexasperationand nodded. "Hai, trying to separate them could be hazardous to our health. Might lose a limb or two." Kurama opened his eyes and stared at the two. There had to be a peaceful way of stopping their argument. Maybe he could use a little of the Youko side of him... The kitsune grinned and looked down at Sophia. He winked and whispered, "Play along..."

Sophia looked confused, but acknowledged the request with a small smile. All of a sudden Kurama was looking around energetically, feigning surprise. "Tawny! You won't believe what I just saw! A Sesshomaru just ran right across the road! They're never this far from their territory. Hurry and get out a Bish-ball!"

Tawny immediately dropped Darius and began to look around. A Bish-ball was in her hand and ready to be thrown. She had assumed a basketball crouch out of habit and was looking around wildly. "Where is he, Kurama, where is he?"

Sophia caught on immediately. "I think I saw him head towards the creek! Bishies camp in a clearing by there all the time! Hurry, Tawny, hurry!" Tawny was already half way to the creek, her long legs leeping bushes and briars and covering the distance with ease. Sophia looked at Kurama and her trainer and giggled. "The creek's too high to cross this time of the year. She'll probably reach it and give up when she doesn't see a Bishonen anywhere. That was a great idea, Kurama. Problem solved!"

Kurama took a bow and helped an exhausted Darius to his feet. Darius had to lean on the kitsune while Kurama led him to a large, flat rock. The teenager adjusted his glasses and leaned back on the stone. "Geeeez! I can't believe how violent that girl is. Considering she's been that way since she was like four,it's awonder I'm still alive!"

The two bishies looked at each other and chuckled. Sophia looked at her trainer and smiled. "You aren't really hurt are you? I could heal you, you know."

Darius shook his head gently. He did have to admit to himself that Tawny had left him with a wicked headache. That didn't warrant Sophia using any of her MP, though. If it didn't wear off soon, he would just knock back a couple of Tylenol. He had some in his first aid kit. Besides, Tawny had left him with much worse before. There had been a time in which the girl hadn't known how to control her own strength. He almost shuddered at the thought of those days. Not only had Tawny been hormonal and frustrated by life during that time, as she had just stepped into womanhood, but she had grown like a weed and was still unused to her changing body. In a nutshell, she was a clumsy whirlwind of rage waiting to happen. Darius unconciously rubbed a small scar above his left eyebrow. The worst incident had been after Tawny broke up with her first boyfriend. She had been thirteen and Darius fifteen. He had felt like being nice to her for once, so he jumped through his window, walked across the yard, and jumped through her window. He had tried patting her back and muttering consolences, but she hadn't been in the mood to be consoled. Instead of drying her tears, she swatted at Darius with her right hand--her stronger hand. Without realizing it, she had hit Darius hard enough to bust open his eyebrow and knock him clear across the room. Yeah, that had hurt. Of course Darius forgave Tawny later. Despite their constant fudes, Darius and Tawny were much like Irianna and Psyche: They were inseparable friends. Perhaps the only thing that kept the two from being more than friends was their blood relation. Just as Kurama had guessed, they were kin. In fact, they were cousins. Their mothers were sisters, making them first cousins and directly related to one another. Their blood relation and opposing attitudes attracted them to one another and kept them close. Irianna and Psyche only strengthened that relationship.

_Speaking of those two, I wonder what happened to them? I landed near Eutriv City. Through her scolding, I found out that Tawny was at Cerulean, which was only a few miles to the west. We're headed for Epoh now, which is to the south. What about Psyche and Irianna? There's no telling what happened to them, or what they're up to. I know Irianna's pretty much sane, but Psyche's another story..._ Darius sighed and looked up at the blue sky. It had been raining until earlier today. Puddles of water still dotted the road. His clothes were still damp from the drenching he had received. Sophia had chosen to stay in her ball rather than suffer through the rain. Kurama and Tawny looked dry, so Darius figured they had found shelter during the storm. But what about the other two? Psyche had proven time and again that she could take care of herself. The girl was of medium height and skinny as hell, but she could kick ass. She was also very cunning and vengeful. You didn't do anything to Psyche without considering the repurcussions of your actions. Besides that, Psyche was just a natural survivor. What about Irianna, though? She was such a sheltered girl. Yes, Irianna could hurt someone if pressed to. Yes, Irianna had a strong and unrelentingspirit for someone so young. Irianna was also an extremely intelligent person. But she could be such a naive girl sometimes. Lenny and Caroline McMillan had done Irianna no favors by keeping her sheltered from the world. Now Irianna didn't always know what to expect of life. Irianna naturally assumed the best of people. She rarely saw the bad in someone.

A grin spread across Darius's face. Then again, Irianna had a way of melting even the coldest hearts. Darius had seen it happen. Irianna was such a naturally sweet and innocent person that most people instinctively felt the need to protect her. Of course, not many people incurred her wrath, either. Darius had. He shuddered that time.

Sophia looked at Kurama with a raised eyebrow. Kurama shrugged his shoulders and mouthed, "Must be off in his own world." Sophia shrugged and tapped her trainer's shoulder. "Are you okay? You were rubbing your head a minute ago, you grinned at seemingly nothing, and now you're shaking. Do you feel delirious or something?"

Darius blanched. They had been watching him? Then he shook his head emphatically. "No, no, I'm not delirious! I was just thinking is all." He sighed and stood up. His head didn't hurt anymore. "Anyway, let's go get Tawny. She may be trying to cross that creek, flooded or not."

Kurama and Sophia looked at each other with wide eyes. Who was that girl?

Tawny was in fact very busy, but she wasn't stupid enough to try and cross a flooded creek. She had caught on to the trick the two bishies had pulled on her. Kurama sure was sharp. But she had decided to drop the whole thing instead of getting mad and getting revenge. After all, it was starting to get late. They had to concentrate on making camp. Actually, Tawny had set up most of the camp on her own. By the time Darius, Sophia, and Kurama found her, Tawny had pitched her tent, formed a fire pit with some flat rocks, collected what dry wood she could find, set some wet wood out to dry, and was looking through her capsule refrigerator for something to cook over an open fire. This was as much as a surprise to Kurama and Sophia as the thought of Tawny trying to cross a flooded creek. For the last week, Kurama and his trainer had either slept under starry skies or taken refuge in the area's many caves during the wet days and nights. He hadn't seen how swiftly and efficiently the girl set up a camp. Darius was unsurprised. He knew that Tawny was the kind of person who didn't waste time or slack off. It was only natural that she could set up camp as well as any veteran woodsman. He was grateful, too. This meant he had less work to do.

The sound of Sophia's foot snapping a twig alerted Tawny to their approach. She looked up from the refrigerator and grinned. In her arms were hotdogs, sausages, cheese, bread, a few sodas, and an assortment of condiments. "Who's ready to eat? I've already sharpened some sticks to use as roasters!"

At that moment, all four bellies in the group decided to introduce themselves. Kurama raised his hand with a sheepishexpression. "I'm hungry!"

Sophia and Darius were already roasting sausages over a crackling fire.

* * *

Yeah! Another chapter is fin! And is it just me, or is this chapter a lot longer than the other one? I certainly took longer on this one than I did the other. Anyway, the two groups will reunite in the next chapter, and I will also introduce a new character. Speaking of new characters, I need OCs for this story. Anyone want to add their own trainer to my fic? I don't know if I can portray them the way you would like, but I can try. Just try to include a description of the OCs looks and personality and what bishies they use. Try to use bishies from something I know about! Here's a list of animes, games, and even a couple of books I might take characters from and/or know a fair amount about:

Animes/Mangas:

Yu Yu Hakusho

Inuyasha

Fushigi Yuugi

Sailor Moon

Crescent Moon

Hana-Kimi

Tenchi Muyo

Rurouni Kenshin

Naruto

Happy Hustle High

Petshop of Horrors

Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School

Gundam Wing(the one with Duo and Heero)

Fullmetal Alchemist

Saiyuki

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

DNAngel

Trigun

Princess Ai

.hack(games, manga, and anime)

And I know about various characters from the works of Clamp

Games:

Legend of Dragoon

Star Ocean: The Second Story

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, X-2

Books:

Works by Tamora Pierce

Harry Potter

Works by Anne McCaffrey (Dragon Riders of Pern)

Works by Terry Brooks

I've probably left a bunch of stuff out, but that should be plenty to choose from. I've read more novels than that, but I just can't remember many authors or titles at the moment. I'm writing this at 1:30 in the morning, can you really blame me for having a short memory? I will say that I've not read the Dragonlance series, but I hope to as soon as I figure out which book I should start with. I've noticed that there are several parts to the series and many books. Can anyone tell me which book is the beginning of the series? I have a thing about not being able to read a series of books unless I read them in order. Gomen. Anyway I just need a few things from my readers: to know which of the Dragonlance books to start with, to get a few OCs requested, and R&R. Read and Review! Thanx!


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Tale of Bishonen World**

**Anime Chick Authoress**

* * *

Chapter Three: How Did _She_ Get Here?

* * *

Sophia and Darius were already roasting sausages over a crackling fire.**

* * *

The Next Day...**

"You can jus' take a bloody flyin' (_beep_) at a rollin' donut fer all I care, ya furry menaces!"

Three pairs of eyes immediately shot open. Youko's ears twitched in aggitation before he rolled over, snuggled closer to Psyche's back, and closed his eyes to go back to sleep. Psyche took a moment to make sure Youko wasn't touching anything inappropriate before closing her eyes again. _I'm gonna regret letting him sleep in the tent with me. Sooner or later, I'm gonna regret it. But he's just so warm and cozy right now! _

In the other tent, Irianna was trying to ignore the argument between her Bishonen and the local squirrels. _Why? Why me? Why is my Bishonen the crazy one?_

"Ow! It _bit_ me! The bloody bag o' fur bit me!"

Youko couldn't help it. The thought of the mighty shinobi Jin the Wind Tamer being tamed by a fuzzy woodland creature was just too much. He cracked up. Loudly. Unfortunately, his face was right by Psyche's ear. Note: Psyche isn't a morning person.

_SMACK!_

"OW! She slapped me! Geez, since when can human females hit that hard!" Youko was now on the other side of Psyche's tent, tenderly rubbing his red and bruising cheek. His ears were laid back flat and his tail was drooping in defeat. If he had been slapped by anyone else, he probably would have torn them to pieces. In this case, though, Psyche had hit him. He couldn't really hurt his trainer, or even just scare the crap out of her, without enduring serious repercussions at a later date. Even a Youko as powerful as himself couldn't avoid punishment from a girl like Psyche for very long. So instead, he just tried to gain her sympathy. "C'mon, Psyche, I couldn't help it! And you didn't have to hit that hard! That's gonna leave a mark, you know that?" What Youko got in response was a soft snore. He scowled and slipped back into his sleeping bag, keeping as far away from Psyche as possible within the confines of the tent. He would just have to make her feel bad about his injuries later.

Outside, the tension was building between Jin half of the local population of squirrels. His hair was already full of twigs, leaves, and acorns, but he was still arguing with them. Irianna, still in the tent, was about to crack, but not like Youko had. Irianna wasn't really a morning person herself. She looked down at her wrist watch. One slender eyebrow raised dangerously. _5:02 in the morning? I've gotta stop this! If I don't, then Psyche will eventually do something, and none of us want her up and annoyed this early in the morning._ Irianna slipped out of her sleeping bag. She shivered. Even in the tent, the air was just cool enough to give her goosebumps. It would be warm later in the day, though. She made sure Jin was properly distracted by the squirrels before stripping off her T-shirt and shorts and donning a loose, wide-collared white shirt with black mesh sleeves. The collar was wide enough that it nearly slipped off both her shoulders, the sleeves long enough to touch the tips of her fingers, and the shirt short enough to expose her midrift. She also slipped on a knee-length, pleated black skirt that rode low on her hips. A pair of white tennis shoes and her belt of Bish-balls completed the outfit. Without stopping to so much as run a comb through her freely flowing hair, Irianna ran out of the tent.

Jin was still arguing with the squirrels. Only when Irianna looked up to assess just how many rodents they had to contend with did Irianna see why. Jin was floating just out of reach of the squirrels, and was trying to retrieve a large bag of trail mix that must have been pilfered from her backpack. Irianna's eyes narrowed. The pests had stolen from her! She couldn't have cared less if she never got the trail mix back. She had plenty of the stuff in her bag. What irked her was the deed itself. Irianna hated thieves. With a growl unexpected of someone who normally looked so calm and collected, she passed a hand over her eyes, which suddenly went from sky blue to burning red. A few of the squirrels had noticed the change. The rodents had obviously angered a few demons, because the growl and sudden change in eye color made them nervous. Their fur was standing on end. Jin took note of their reaction and turned to face his trainer. The color of Irianna's eyes even made him jump a little. He still hadn't figured out that she wore multi-colored contacts. What really worried him was the Bish-ball she was now tossing up and down. _Now wha' does the lass plan ta do wit' dat? She already caught m-OH CRAPS!_

Jin ducked and coverd his head as said Bish-ball sailed over him and carved a path through the writhing mass of fur. The squirrels gave Irianna a look of pure terror before stampeding back into the cover of the forest. Jin caught the forgotten bag of trail mix and grinned down at his trainer. "Oi! I almos' thought ya were gonna nail me, Iri! Nice aim, bye da way." Then he caught a flash of red light out of the corner of his eye. He turned toward the source of it and blinked. "Eh? Did ya mean ta catch somethin', Iri?"

Irianna had noticed the red light, too. She was now walking under Jin and picking her way carefully through the briars. "No, I didnt mean to catch a Bishonen. I think I just caught one by chance." She passed a hand before her eyes. Then she looked up at Jin. Jin blanched. Her eyes were now a vivid purple. Such vivid eyes made her pixie-ish face seem even more lovely in his mind, but he still couldn't figure out how her eyes went from one color to the next. It kind of creeped him out. She wasn't part demon, was she? Irianna had mistaken his surprise at her eye color for something else. "Some luck, huh? Anyway, I'm gonna look for the ball. Start breakfast, would you?"

Jin just nodded and flew down to land next to the fire pit. He cleared his hair of any forest debris with a violent shake of his head and got to work. Youko had given up on sleep and was stretching not too far away. He gave Jin a look. The shinobi was muttering to himself in what must have been Gaelic as he stoked the fire and brought it back to life. Youko grunted an inquiry. Jin looked at him and passed a hand over his eyes much like Irianna did. Youko had figured out by now that Irianna wore contacts, but he found Jin's reactions amusing. Instead of explaining what she did, Youko gave Jin a kind of creeped-out expression and faked a shudder. Jin nodded agreement and started rummaging through Irianna's capsule refrigerator for something to cook. Youko supressed a laugh. This was quite the entertaining little group.

Meanwhile, Irianna had found her Bish-ball. The black and silver ball was still quivering slightly when she crouched down next to it. As she waited for it to stop shaking, Irianna pulled several leaves and twigs out of her hair. Instead of taking the time to braid it, she wrapped half of its copper, auburn, and red length around her neck like a scarf. The other half trailed down her back, reaching her waist now instead of her ankles. By then the ball had stopped shaking. Irianna picked it up and walked back to camp.

Psyche had joined the two Bishonen. She must have decided sleeping in wasn't going to happen, because she had changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of baggy jeans, a low-necked white strap shirt, and a pair of flip-flop sandals that matched the streaks in her hair perfectly. Her ice blue eyes had a glazed look and were half-lidded. Irianna had told her to not to stay up till three in the morning, but Psyche rarely listened to her smaller friend's advice. Now Psyche looked up at the ball in Irianna's hand. Her face immediately lit up. Her energy was never depleted for long!

"What ya got there, Iri-chan? Youko thought he heard you catch a Bishonen! Let's see 'im!"

Jin and Youko were looking on with mild interest. Irianna shrugged and held the Bish-ball out. "Come on out--er, um--whoever you are!" The other three members of the group sweatdropped.

Red light spilled from the Bish-ball once again. The person that appeared before Irianna didn't differ much in height from herself. His eyes were the iciest shade of blue she had ever seen, and didn't have pupils. His wore his blue hair short and slicked back, with the exception of the spiky aqua green bangs that hung just above one eyebrow. He was dressed as a shinobi. Irianna immediately recognized Touya the Ice Master. She also felt sorry for him. He was lying prone on the ground, his eyes ing, and a large lump was forming on the top of his head. It was Irianna's turn to sweatdrop. Her face had a kind of O.o" expression. "I think I gave him a concussion!"

Youko and Psyche were leaning on each other for support. They just couldn't stop laughing. Jin had set aside a large skillet to poke Touya's head. "Heey! You okay, buddy? I don' dink the lass did it on purpose. You gonna be alright, laddy?" Jin looked up at Irianna with wide eyes. "Tha's gotta be some right arm ya got there ta be knockin' a Touya out cold like dat! You gonna show me how ya did that sometime?" Youko and Psyche looked at each other for a brief moment before resuming their laughter with more gusto than ever.

Irianna was steadily getting redder and redder in the face. She dropped her arm and shook her head, her face in her hand. When she took the hand away, her eyes were as pink as the streaks in Psyche's hair to reflect her embarassment. Jin nearly fell over. Yet another unnatural eye color! Youko and Psyche continued to laugh, this time at Jin's ridiculous reaction. Touya finally woke up just as the group was calming down. He sat up and rubbed his sore head gently. That Bish-ball had really done a number on his poor head. He looked up at his new trainer. Her cheeks were only slightly colored now as she crouched down to Touya's current height.

"You okay? I didn't know that ball was going to hit anyone. You need a pain killer or something?"

Touya shook his head and stood up, Irianna following suit. He softly smiled at her. "Nah, I'm good. I guess you're my trainer now?"

Irianna nodded and did a cute little bow with a flourish of her arms. "Irianna Gale McMillan, at your service, Touya-san!" Then she straightened and smiled in her most friendly fashion. "But a lot of people call me 'Iri'. The other trainer with the Youko is my good friend Psyche Peterson. Jin here is my first Bishonen. You're only my second capture, as accidental as it was. It's nice to meet you!"

Touya's smile widened a little. He didn't really like the idea of being captured, but this girl seemed nice enough. She also seemed to be an intelligent and well-mannered girl. At least she hadn't glomped him yet! He was about to reply, but her Jin was suddenly in his face. Touya's eyes widened in surprise and he blinked. There was something familiar about this Jin... "Can I help you?" Then said Jin glomped/tackled Touya and cried out happily. "GAAAH! Wha-What're you doing? Stop that! ACK!"

Irianna, Youko, and Psyche were wondering the same thing, but not quite so loudly or in such a panicked manner. Psyche looked at Irianna with a O.o expression. "Is your Jin gay or something?"

Irianna almost choked. She clutched her heart as she felt it begin to shatter into a million microscopic pieces. Youko blanched. He was _not _going to deal with _any_ homosexuality in _this_ outfit. Not after what that Karasu from his village did to him before he was captured by Psyche. Youko immediately shuddered and started thinking about a happy place. Meanwhile, Jin was dispelling everyone's fears.

"Nah, nah, i's not like dat! This be my buddy from me ol' village. I've called 'im Pixie-kun since we were wee lil' laddies!"

Touya flushed angrily. "Damn it, you overgrown elf, I told you not to call me that anymore! Now get off me, you oaf!"

Jin was grinning like a fool. "An' Pixie-kun's called me Elf Boy s'far back as I can remember! I get on his nerves, but we be the best o' buddies!"

Youko, Psyche, and Irianna were relieved. Psyche was blushing and muttering apologies. Youko was silently thanking Kami that neither of the shinobi were in any way romantically involved. Irianna was just glad that she still had a chance to get closer to her favorite Bishonen. Meanwhile, Jin had finally released his friend and was going on in Gaelic about who knows what. Surprisingly, Touya was talking back in the same language. A few things Jin said made Touya look uncomfortable and even blush a little, but Jin didn't seem to notice.

Psyche looked at Youko. Her eyes were wide in confusion. "What're they saying? Is that even English?"

Youko shrugged and crossed his arms. "I think it's Irish Gaelic. I've heard Jins talk like that before. I've never bothered to learn the language. You would think they would have the courtesy to talk in English, though, or at least Japanese. What do you think Iria--Iri?" The kitsune and his trainer were looking at Irianna with wide eyes. Even Youko was amazed. He had never seen a human's face get that red before. It was like looking at a giant cherry tomato. "Is your friend okay, Psyche? I think she's gonna explode."

Jin was still distracted by the presence of his old friend, so even his sharp ears didn't pick up what Irianna said next.

Irianna shook her head and put her hands on her cheeks. She was sure she had never been this shade of red before. Then again, she had never heard someone talk like that about her before. She groaned and explained to Psyche and the kitsune. "You see, like the McMillans, my parents had Irish ancestry. While I was learning to speak English as a toddler, my parents also taught me how to speak in Irish Gaelic. They wanted me to keep a part of them with me forever, so they taught me the language of their ancestry. The McMillans helped me finish learning the language after they adopted me. I'm fluent in both languages and I can understand every word Touya and Jin are saying... Oh, how embarassing. This is why I never eavesdrop on conversations..." She put her hands over her ears this time, humming to keep out the voices.

Youko and Psyche looked at each other in confusion. What were those demon ninjas saying?

Then something else crossed Irianna's mind. Her eyes snapped open, suddenly bright yellow with alarm. "Where's Marshmallow?"

The kitsune and his trainer face vaulted.

* * *

On the other side of the creek from Irianna and Psyche's camp, Tawny was just waking up. One muddy brown eye slowly opened. She took in her surroundings. Sunlight was just beginning to filter through the trees and the open flap of the tent. She could see tiny wisps of smoke rising from the remains of last night's camp fire. There were no sounds coming from Darius's tent, so she supposed her cousin and Sophia were still asleep. Tawny opened the other eye and noticed Kurama sleeping a few feet from her. His eyes were closed. The kitsune was probably asleep, but she knew he could sense her staring at him anyway. She tore her gaze from Kurama and sat up in her sleeping bag. Tawny had slept in a strap shirt and shorts, so when the sleeping bag slipped off her shoulders, the chilly morning air made her shiver. She breathed on her hands and rubbed them on her bare skin. Maybe she should wear something a little warmer when she slept? Tawny looked over at Kurama again. He had shifted in his sleep a little, but he seemed unaffected by the cold. _Lucky fox..._

Tawny sighed and stood up. She collected the same outfit from the day before, as it had yet to fit her definition of "dirty": a short-sleeved black T-shirt with a jade green dragon winding itself around her torso, a pair of baggy black jeans with the same design on one leg, and her favorite pair of tennis shoes. Tawny slipped back into her sleeping bag, burrowed down so that anyone looking couldn't see her, and began to change clothes.

While this was happening, an odd scent tickled Kurama's nose. He opened one brilliant green eye and examined his surroundings much like Tawny had. He took note of his trainer's odd way of changing clothes when in his presence, but only briefly. This scent could mean danger for his trainer. Kurama narrowed his eyes and slipped stealthily out of his sleeping bag. Not even the usually observant Tawny noticed his exit of the tent.

Kurama stood next to the nearly cold fire pit. The morning sun warmed his bare chest pleasantly despite the morning chill. He had taken his shirt off to sleep and had not thought to put it back on before leaving the tent. Too late now. He had to find the source of that scent. Kurama stood still, his face tilted into the breeze. He caught it again. Then he followed it across the small clearing. Now he was standing at the entrance to Darius and Sophia's tent. He looked down in time to see a pale reptilian tale disappear into the tent. Kurama's went wide and he gasped. This wasn't going to be good!

At about the same time Kurama caught the snake's scent, Darius opened his eyes. The sun was striking him right in the face. He groaned and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Damn sun. He was still tired, but Darius never could get back to sleep after being woken up. Instead of retreating deeper into his sleeping bag, Darius shoved on his glasses and stretched a little. When he stretched, he felt something cold and smooth slide past his foot. Darius gulped. He knew that sensation. It wasn't one he liked. It was one that brought back memories from his childhood of an anaconda snake that tried to eat him during a school trip to the zoo. He shuddered as the smooth sensation wound around his leg and up to his thigh. Darius was paralyzed. Then Kurama stepped into his tent.

"Darius, I apologize for intruding, but I--Darius?"

Darius pointed to his leg, hidden by the sleeping bag, and then to the zipper on the side of the bag. "Unzip it," he mouthed silently.

Kurama's worst fears had been confirmed. He walked with the stealth natural to a thief of his calibur. The kitsune crouch low to unzip the bag, and gently tossed that half off of Darius. He cringed. _Oh, dear._

Darius didn't cringe. He screamed. And when Darius screams, he screams for all he's worth.

Sophia woke up with staff in hand, taking a battle stance, frantically looking around for their attacker. Tawny nearly broke something in her attempt to escape first the sleeping bag and then the tent to reach her cousin. Kurama clutched his poor ears and moaned loudly for someone to shut the boy up.

* * *

Across the creek...

Psyche, Irianna, Youko, Jin, and Touya all haulted in their frantic search for the missing boa constrictor. Well, Psyche, Youko, and Touya stopped searching. Irianna stopped her wailing and Jin stopped petting her head and trying to console her over the girl's cries. The scream that stopped them dead in their tracks still echoed throughout the forest. The whole group looked at each other, looked in the general direction of the creek, then looked back at each other.

"Looks like someone found Marshmallow," Psyche said with much relief. She was beginning to wonder if someone shouldn't give Irianna a tranquilizer. The girl was a complete wreck without that snake. "Well, let's go get--Iri?"

Irianna had stood up, her eyes suddenly their usual vivid purple and her tears gone. In the process of standing up, she had clocked Jin in the face with the fist she had raised in determination, but she hadn't realized that yet. As he lay on the ground and twitched a little, Irianna was making a bee line for the creek. "I know that scream! I'd know it anywhere. Marshmallow found Psyche, and now she's found Darius!" As Irianna ran, her hair trailed a few feet behind her and a classic anime dust cloud rose in her wake.

Youko and Touya looked at Psyche strangely. "Isn't Darius a guy's name?" Youko asked with a raised eyebrow.

Psyche nodded. Her face was exasperated. "Yup."

"And Irianna just said that she would recognize that guy's scream anywhere?" Touya confirmed.

"Yuppers."

The demons looked at each other and blinked. "What's wrong with these people?" They asked in unison.

Psyche shrugged. "We have yet to find out what makes us the way we are. Now, let's retrieve my buddies before someone gets hurt!"

* * *

Back at Tawny and Darius's camp...

All hell had broken loose.

Marshmallow was frantically trying to remove herself from Kurama's hands. As soon as the kitsune could use his hands as something other than ear plugs, he had promptly grabbed the snake and tried to toss it away. Unfortunately, the snake had no intention of leaving. In the process of trying to get away from Kurama and reach Darius and Tawny both at the same time, poor Marshmallow had gotten herself tangled around Kurama's arms and head. Kurama wasn't in a much better position than the snake. His arms were held above his head, firmly gripped by the snake. Kurama's hair was also tangled in the mass of scale and flesh, and the snake's tail was wrapped under his chin as though it were holding him in a headlock. Definitely not Kurama's best day ever.

On the opposite end of the small tent, Darius and Sophia were huddled in a corner. Darius was still having flashbacks of nearly being eaten alive by a snake about ten times larger than Marshmallow. Sophia just didn't like snakes. Actually, that's a gross understatement. Sophia has a phobia of snakes. The only thing that had kept Sophia from using any magic on the snake was the high risk of injuring Kurama as well. Though, she was beginning to wonder why she didn't just fry them both now and heal Kurama later. It was a very tempting idea...

Outside the tent, Tawny was watching a dust cloud race toward them from the opposite side of the swollen creek. She squinted her eyes and held a hand just above her brow, trying to pinpoint what that thing was. Was it a Bishonen? But what kind of sense did it make for a Bishonen to run straight at a trainer's camp? She kept her eyes on the approaching figure. Tawny could now make out black and white clothes on a rather small and slim body. Was that a copper colored scarf flowing out behind them? No, it didn't look like a scarf. It looked like lots and lots of hair. Tawny's eyes went wide. She knew that hair. She knew that person. And now that she thought about it, she knew the snake that was holding her Bishonen captive. _Uh oh... This can _not_ be good._

It was about that time that Marshmallow chose to make her escape from the clutches of the struggling kitsune. She moved her head so that she was staring Kurama in the eye. Kurama blinked. He didn't like the look that snake was giving him. Marshmallow used that moment of distraction to squeeze just hard enough to pop a few joints in his arms, choke him just a little, pull on his hair, and make him yelp. Then she was sliding down the front of his still bare chest as fast as any snake could, eliciting a startled _"Cold!" O.o _out of him, and raced toward Tawny.

Tawny didn't see her in time to prevent the snake from shooting up the leg of her pants--_"Holy sh--!" O.o_--, then through her shirt, and out of the collar of her shirt to wrap gently around her neck and shoulders. Marshmallow brought her reptilian face up to Tawny's level of sight and tasted her scent enthusiastically. Tawny sighed her relief. This was Marshmallow, sure enough. No other snake had quite the personality of Marshmallow the albino boa constrictor. But if Marshmallow was here, then that must mean that girl making the dust cloud was...

Tawny turned just in time to see the girl reach the opposite bank of the creek. By now, Darius, Kurama and Sophia had joined Tawny. Psyche, Youko, Touya, and a newly conscious Jin were right on Irianna's heels. They were trying to keep her from running off of the bank and into the churning creek. Tawny's eyes went wide at what happened next, as did every other pair of eyes that witnessed it. Irianna reached the bank at full speed, did a stunning leap from the ground, grabbed a hanging vine that no one else had noticed until now, and swung over to the bank on which Tawny and her crew were standing. Unfortunately for Tawny, she was the last one to noticed that Irianna was swinging straight at her. Irianna may have made the jump and grabbed the vine, but she didn't know how to steer it. Even Marshmallow was out of the way before Irianna, screaming nearly as loud as Darius, slammed into Tawny.

_Damn, I'm gonna feel that tomorrow!_

_Marshmallow, Tawny, Darius! I've found you! Owie..._

Not unlike a snowball, Tawny and Irianna rolled along the ground, rolled over the thankfully cold fire pit, rolled over a couple pairs of shoes, and then rolled into Tawny's tent, picking up bits and pieces of things in their path all along the way.

At the same time Tawny and Irianna slammed into the tent, the group from the other camp site arrived via Jin's wind. They all touched down and stared with wide eyes at the damage. Darius turned to look at Psyche. Psyche looked at Darius and immediately wrapped her arms around him, muttering consolences and petting his head. Marshmallow, somehow knowing all this was her fault, slid over to Jin and nudged his toes, begging to be picked up. Jin complied and wrapped the snake around his neck. He just hoped no one attacked him in an attempt to attack the snake. Kurama and Youko were trying to build up the courage to investigate the ominously quiet tent. Sophia held her staff at the ready, prepared to perform a sleep or paralysis spell on anything that threatened to cause more chaos. Touya was considering the sanity of these people and the consequences that might come from staying with them, not that he had much of a choice. All was quiet for just a moment. But when you get Irianna, Tawny, Psyche, and Darius all together, nothing stays quiet for long.

Irianna suddenly shot out of the tent like a rocket, Tawny right behind her. The two of them were a mess. Both of them were covered in dirt and ash from head to toe. Their clothes were torn and filthy. Tawny's braid was ruined, while Irianna looked like the Adams Family's Cousin It on a bad hair day. Their arms, legs, and faces were covered in small bruises and scratches. They were also clutching the large, spreading bruises on the their torsoes. But they were grinning.

An ash covered Irianna pumped her fist into the air. "That was frickin' sweet! I though I was gonna die, but it was just so awesome! What an adrenaline rush!"

Tawny was trying to pull what must have been Kurama's shoe off of her hand. "The Great Flying Iri. Who would have thunk it? I almost wet myself when I saw her flying at me. Damn that was scary."

Irianna was now hopping up and down, grinning wildly. If it weren't for the mature curves of her body, someone could have mistaken Irianna for a hyper kid instead of an energetic teenager. "I wanna do that again. Can I do it again? I'm gonna do it again!" And she shot for the creek. She didn't get very far, though. Jin and Touya both planted an arm in her way and lifted her off her feet, effectively preventing her from putting herself in further danger. They didn't need a trainer with broken bones. Irianna's energy instantly deflated and she let herself dangle from her Bishonens' arms. "Snap!"

Tawny had managed to yank Kurama's shoe off of her hand. She handed it to him with a sheepish grin. "Well, you heard me and Darius talk about Irianna and Psyche, right? The waif hanging from Jin and Touya's arms is Irianna. The blonde is Psyche."

Psyche grinned at Sophia and Kurama, ever friendly. Irianna moved her head at an odd angle just to get a look at the two of them and waved with one dusty hand. Kurama shook his head. These silly humans really did amaze him. Sophia smiled back at them. Now that the whole snake crisis was over, she didn't have any problem with hooking up with other trainers. The more the merrier was her mentality.

Youko looked up at the sky. The sun was about to be above the trees. "Riiight, more happy reunions. Whatever. I say we get Sasquatch and the midget a thorough bath and a change of clothes. Then we need to get walking."

Everyone but Tawny and Irianna laughed. They were just grinning evilly at the fox. The two of them would get their revenge later. You just didn't insult girls like them. Unfortunately, Youko didn't have much experience with girls like Tawny and Irianna.

_

* * *

Jus' about another hour 'til Epoh City, an' I'm damn well pleased wit' it. The woods be nice an' all, but I'll be right glad ta sleep in a proper bed an' wake up warm instead o' freezin' ta death in a tiny tent. Jin sighed and ran a hand through his wild hair. He grimaced at the feel of it. __I'm not one ta be a clean freak or anyt'ing, but I'll be glad ta get a long, hot shower, too._ Jin sighed and ran a hand through his wild hair. He grimaced at the feel of it. 

Ahead of Jin was Irianna. The trainers Youko had dubbed Sasquatch and Midget had both bathed in a shallower part of the creek and changed clothes before the entire group packed up and set out. Now Jin's trainer was clad in a white strap shirt with the words "Eerie Wind Sprite" written in silver cursive on the front and a pair of silver fairy-like wings on the back, a midthigh-length faded denim skirt that rode low on her hips, and the same pair of white tennis shoes as before, though the tennis shoes were now far from white. Irianna's hair had been brushed and braided by Tawny and Psyche, as it was a job that could only be done properly by two people. The girl still looked fresh and rested, though the four trainers and their bishies had been on the road since about eight o'clock. It amazed Jin that such a waif of a girl could keep up that kind of pace and still have energy left.

To Jin's right, Touya was having a much less enjoyable time. The heat of the day had caught up to him hours ago. Bishonen like Touya, despite their place of birth, really belonged in colder regions. The heat of late spring didn't suit the Ice Master at all. Jin felt sorry for him. Maybe he should try to convince Irianna to visit the territories to the north? He was sure the girl would consent if she knew just how uncomfortable Touya was in this climate.

Lagging behind the group were Darius and Sophia. Darius, as far as Jin could tell, wasn't the toughest trainer to come through this world. Nor was he the bravest. He still refused to approach Marshmallow or anyone holding Marshmallow for any reason whatsoever. In fact, he kept about five feet of space or more between him and the snake. And Jin could have sworn the young man wilted in the heat. Darius's glasses kept threatening to slip off his face as he gained an increasingly thicker sheen of sweat. He had removed his shirt a long time ago, hoping the cool spring breeze would offer him some relief. He drug his feet along the ground as he walked and couldn't keep a good posture. The boy really was a sorry sight. Jin wondered how he would last in the heat of summer. Darius's Star Ocean Bishoujo, Sophia, wasn't quite as hopeless as her trainer. Sophia, though she was obviously uncomfortable in the heat, was always energetic. She didn't drag her feet like Darius, and even hummed a little as she walked, while Darius seemed out of breath. Sophia was about as small as Irianna and looked just as fragile, but Jin was sure she could hold up better than her trainer.

Ahead of Irianna were Psyche and Youko. Psyche. Jin couldn't find many words to describe that one that weren't associated with some kind of insanity. He wondered how Irianna could have possibly befriended someone like Psyche. Irianna was generally calm with rare spurts of energy or randomness, while Psyche was all energy and randomness. Jin didn't know either of them well enough to make many more contradictions between the two, but just looking at them showed anyone how different they were. And it didn't surprise Jin at all that Psyche had captured a Youko. Although Jin hadn't seen that side of Psyche yet, he knew a flirt when he saw one. He didn't take Psyche to be "easy" or anything, but he assumed she would react well to the kitsune's flirtatious ways. Or Psyche might brush off the fox's antics just to watch him pout. Either reaction out of the girl wouldn't surprise him.

Leading the group's progress were Kurama and Tawny. Tawny was odd, too, but not odd like Psyche was. From what he had learned, Tawny was only sixteen, making her the youngest of the trainers, yet it was Irianna that was considered the "baby". Of course, Tawny couldn't really be considered a "little" sister by anyone's standards. She was the tallest and most solidly built female newbie trainer he had ever come across. Not that this was a bad thing. Tawny didn't act as though she knew it, but the girl was very pretty. Jin doubted that Tawny cared about being pretty, though. Tawny looked as though she couldn't care less about what people thought about her. She also had an air of intelligence about her. Jin's experiences told him that most atheletic people were less serious about enhancing their intellect, but Tawny's eyes told a different story. The Wind Tamer instinctively respected the girl. He could see why a Kurama would be her first Bishonen. In a way, she was very much like Kurama. Tawny was obviously a great athelete, but she was equally as intelligent as she was strong.

Jin felt eyes on him. The source was his trainer. Irianna was walking backwards now, looking up into his face with wide eyes. Jin wondered how she kept from tripping herself. She wasn't the most graceful of people. Her eyes mirrored concern. They were also the sky blue color that seemed to him to be her natural eye color. It didn't creep him out as much that her eyes changed color as often as a dragon's, but he still hadn't figured out how she did it. He did have to say that he had a favorite eye color for Irianna: the vivid violet eyes that she prefered. When Irianna didn't look away, he smiled at her, a cue to voice whatever was on her mind.

Irianna seemed to be chewing on her tongue. She held his gaze, but obviously wanted to look away. When she spoke, it was in a quiet voice. "I didn't realize this until a little while ago, but I think I might have punched you when I stood up to find Marshmallow. I kind of remember hitting something that was soft but firm, and then I heard something hit the ground." Irianna looked down at the ground now. Color was tinging her cheeks. "I'm sorry about that. You can hit me back if you want. That's usually how I settle scores with my friends." Now she had her eyes clothes and her head bowed, waiting for Jin to bop her over the head.

The Wind Tamer had to try very hard not to laugh. The thought of him hitting her was just that ridiculous. He was afraid he might give her a lump with little more than a tap on the head. Besides, he had never been upset with her. Touya had done much worse to him without even meaning to(at least, he didn't _think_ Touya had hit him on purpose), and Jin never got aggravated at him. Not that Jin could keep a grudge against something as cute as Irianna in the first place. There was just something about Irianna that made Jin want to protect her. He didn't want to hit her like she had hit him earlier that day. So instead of giving her the expected punishment, Jin reached forward, planted a hand on her head, turned her around with little effort, dragged her to his side, wrapped an arm around her slim shoulders, and pulled her to him in a companionable hug. Jin grinned down at her startled expression. "Only been two days an' yer already treatin' me like one o' yer close buddies? I'm flattered, Iri Gale! So, I'll just make ya gimme a massage when we get checked into a hotel instead o' riskin' a bump on yer poor head. How's that sound?"

The thought of giving anyone a massage--and being held so close by someone of the male gender--made Irianna blush furiously, but she nodded in a sort of resigned way. Jin grinned again and looked ahead of the group. His gaze strayed down the road. Someone was approaching. One of Jin's ears twitched, but not happily. He was seeing some wicked bad aura on this person.

Touya had nudged his friend with one elbow, effectively gaining Jin and Irianna's attention. He raised an eyebrow in the direction of the approaching stranger. Jin shrugged, as did Irianna. Ahead of those three, Psyche, Tawny, and their respective Bishonen had noticed the stranger, too. Kurama's eyes were narrowed at first, as were Youko's, but they both replaced those expressions with neutrality. Behind Jin, Touya, and Irianna, Sophia was muttering something to Darius, who immediately straightened his posture and looked cautiously ahead.

As the strange person came closer, Jin could make out more details. It was definitely female. Her hair was shoulder-length and dark brown. She was lean and stood about as tall Darius, maybe a little shorter. Jin thought she carried herself in an overly confident sort of way, like he had seen some of the more snobby trainers and bishies do. When she got a little closer, he noticed that she held a sour expression on her face. It looked to Jin like something foul was being held under her nose. Her eyes, as light green as Irianna's eyes were light blue, scanned the group with an expression of distaste, then realization. Her gaze eventually rested on Irianna. The stranger grinned, but not in a pleasant manner.

Touya was immediately on the other side of his trainer. Jin noted his friend's new position, then looked down at Irianna. Jin blinked. Irianna's eyes were burning red once again and narrowed dangerously. Jin glanced at the other three trainers. They all had similar expressions. They looked like they were about to tear that other trainer apart. _I'm guessin' they know each other... Iri?_

Irianna had shrugged her way out of Jin's embrace and was making her way toward the strange trainer. Marshmallow, who had been sliding along the ground beside her trainer, was now winding her way up Irianna's body. Once she took her customary position on Irianna's shoulders with her small head above Irianna's, she gave a warning hiss in the direction of the trainer. The other trainer looked ready to spit fire.

Jin and Touya both tensed slightly as Irianna approached the other girl. They stopped, ten feet of space between them. The wind picked up, sending clouds of dust and debris across the road. Irianna's long braid swayed and her chin-length hair seemed to find a life of its own. The other girl's brown hair flowed in tendrils around her face, giving her a kind of Medusa appearance. Irianna's red eyes flashed. Her light green eyes mirrored Irianna's reaction. Then she nodded toward Marshmallow, green eyes full of disdain.

"You're still carrying around that filthy pest? I was certain it would have escaped into the sewers where it belonged by now. How disappointing."

The girl's voice was grating on Jin's ears. She spoke as though only her words worth listening to, and whatever anyone else said was less than worthless gibberish. The girl obviously believed anyone would bend to her will when she spoke. Like Touya, Kurama, and Youko, Jin kept his face a clean slate, but he was picking up on his trainer's growing hostility. If this girl tried something, she would regret it. Jin was sure similar thoughts were going through Touya's head.

Irianna smiled sweetly. Youko and Jin had to fight not to grin, as did Irianna's three trainer friends. The combination of red eyes and sweet smile meant the girl was at her meanest. "I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want my dear, sweet Marshmallow to wallow in the kind of putrid filth akin to what comes from your mouth. And I certainly wouldn't want my sweet little baby to have to endure the presence of the equally disgusting creatures of which you must be a direct descendent of. Marshmallow's just too good for such wretched conditions and neighbors." Irianna's voice was soft and pleasant. Only her diction and Marshmallow's violent hissing and bared fangs betrayed her true feelings.

The strange girl instantly lost her composure. She sneered, her teeth grinding together, her fists clenched. The trainer almost launched herself at Irianna to pummel the much smaller girl to the ground. Then she remembered that she didn't have to do that in this world. She could just have one of her Bishonen beat Irianna's Bishonen to a bloody pulp and take the usual reward. The girl was grinning again, more nastily than ever. She put a hand on one of the Bish-ball's on her belt and pull it free. Light green eyes bore into Irianna, obviously challenging her. "Let's take care of this in what this world sees as the proper way. Gimme your best shot." The girl shouted the betting amount and released her Bishonen. "You game, McMillan?"

Irianna looked at the Bishonen her opponent had released and her smile became far sweeter than her opponent's grin was menacing. Marshmallow stopped hissing, but her pink eyes glared daggers at the other trainer. Irianna was looking at a San level Sanosuke, if his youthful eyes were any indication. Irianna looked back at Jin and Touya. "What level are you?"

They looked between each other. Touya raised an eyebrow at Jin and nodded for him to go. Jin had yet to achieve his Sama stage and needed experience, while Touya had just recently achieved Sama stage. Of course, Jin was almost ready to evolve. This Sanosuke looked pretty green. Touya was sure Jin's greater experience and demon strength was enough to beat a young Sanosuke, despite how inhuman their strength could be at times. Jin couldn't use his wind in this fight, but Touya didn't think he would need it either. With an excited and toothy grin, Jin stepped forward.

Irianna looked back at the strange girl. She tucked a piece of chin-length hair behnd her ear, briefly concealing her gaze. When revealed, her eyes had suddenly gone from burning red to vivid purple. Marshmallow was writhing in excitement and rubbing her cool, smooth body all over Irianna's torso, her mood changed by her owner's new state of mind. "I choose Jin to fight in this match." She looked back at the Wind Tamer. "Have fun, Jin."

The Sanosuke looked Jin over. The Wind Tamer saw confusion in his eyes. The human didn't know who Jin was. Jin had once known a Sama Sanosuke and had fought in a friendly bout or two against him. Thanks to that fact, Jin knew some of this human's strengths and weaknesses, while the Sanosuke had no clue about his opponent. Jin already had the upper hand.

"I consent ta fight on me trainer's beha'f!"

"I, too, consent to fight on my trainer's behalf! And learn some proper English, man!"

Every other person on the road sweatdropped.

Jin just shrugged. "Wha? I ju's got an accent is all. Anyhoo, let's get started!"

The wind picked up and swirled around Jin in a miniature cyclone. Sanosuke held his arms up to block the stirred dust, and so he didn't see Jin as the whirlwind died and Jin shot forward. The Wind Tamer got in the first blow of the match with a stunning punch to Sanosuke's exposed middle. The fighter doubled over, gasping, only to receive a powerful uppercut to the chin that sent him flying up and back to land five feet from his original spot.

By now, the small crowd of trainer's and bishies had taken seats on the sides of the road and far back from the battleground. The brown-haired trainer was shouting a mixture of curses and encouragement to the fallen Sanosuke. Irianna was silent, taking in the scene with sharp eyes, Marshmallow mimicking her. She concentrated her ears on the sounds of the two fighters. If she payed attention, she might be able to warn Jin about an unnoticed incoming blow in time for him to block or dodge. Around her, Irianna's friends and their respective bishies were keeping silent, intent on the match. She was grateful. Jin didn't need any distractions.

Sanosuke was back on his feet and showering Jin with fists, trying to land a hit. Jin was blocking each and every punch with open palms, but Irianna knew he couldn't keep it up for long. Jin lost some of his speed when he agreed not to use his wind. That left him and Sanosuke pretty equal. Eventually, Jin would slip or get distracted and Sanosuke would catch him in the gut or face or try a kick. When that happened, Sanosuke wouldn't let up his attack to let Jin recover like Jin had let Sanosuke get back to his feet. He would take full advantage of any of the demon's weaknesses. Irianna figured Jin already knew all of this, though.

Jin was very much aware of what would inevitably happen if he continued blocking Sanosuke's punches. Instead of waiting for himself to screw up or for Sanosuke to come up with another plan, Jin caught both of the human's fist, almost crushing them in his own hands, and kicked Sanosuke's legs out from under him. The inexperienced fighter was caught off guard once again. Before he could reach the ground, Jin connected his fist to Sanosuke's chin once more, sending him into the air. Sanosuke fell to Jin's height and was met with an onslaught of rapid, powerful punches to his whole torso. After a while, Jin ceased the series of blows and jumped back to watch Sanosuke hit the ground.

Irianna was smiling radiantly. Jin was doing well. Irianna did suspect, however, that Jin's success was due in part to Sanosuke's youth. Sanosuke had made many mistakes that an older version of himself would never make even on an off day. That was part of why Jin felt he could afford to let Sanosuke get to his feet without being attacked. Jin wasn't facing a challenge. He was giving the Sanosuke time to realize his mistakes so that he might gain more experience and become a better challenger some time in the future. Irianna was once again reminded of how much she adored her Bishonen. She greatly admired how his ideals were reflected in battle. Irianna wasn't regretting this match one bit.

The other trainer was no where near as happy. She was seething with rage. Her Bishonen was failing her!

The Sanosuke was on his feet again, but he was looking shaky. Jin stood just five feet from him, his arms at his sides. Sanosuke was obviously tiring. Jin had worked up a good sweat, but was more than ready for another round. The demon looked at Sanosuke and grinned.

"Ya be puttin' up a good fight, laddie, but ya still need some experience ta be on par wit' me. Whaddya say we finish this up quick an' plan on a rematch someday, eh?"

Sanosuke grinned. "You knew ahead of time that I wouldn't just foreit, didn't you? Well, you were right. I won't give up. Now let's finish this!"

Jin grinned as Sanosuke rushed at him. The guy had a true fighting spirit. Jin looked forward to fighting him again after Sanosuke became stronger. But for now, the human was just too inexperienced and too predictable. As Sanosuke rushed at Jin, he left his flanks exposed, unprotected. Jin leapt out of Sanosuke's way and brought up a knee to nail his opponent in the ribs. The blow knocked the breath out of Sanosuke and unbalanced him. Jin didn't give him time to fall. He followed up the blow to the ribs with a series of punches to his torso, keeping him off the ground with the sheer force. Then he executed another uppercut, sending Sanosuke high into the air. Sanosuke landed eight feet away. He was gasping with pain. The human fighter struggled to get to his feet, but to no avail. He finally gave up and lay panting on the ground.

...,_4, 3, 2, 1... Jin wins,_ Irianna thought to herself. Marshmallow hissed, this time in delight at her owner's sudden elation. Then Irianna looked up at her approaching Bishonen. Her deadly sweet smile became a genuine smile as she happily wrapped her arms around the Wind Tamer. "Congratulations! I'm proud of you, Jin. You'll be a Sama in no time at all!" Jin answered her with an equally tight embrace and a tussel of her copper hair. Marshmallow had migrated to Jin's shoulders and was soaking in the heat his body radiated, her forked tongue flicking contentedly. Irianna, still hugging her victorious Bishonen, stared at the other trainer. "Well?"

The trainer was livid. Her mouth was working, but no words came forth. She took a bag of coins from her pocket, tossed it with a curse at Irianna's feet, and screamed her frustration. The trainer looked at Sanosuke with as much disdain as she had had for Irianna and her friends. The beaten Bishonen was sitting up now, but didn't look quite ready to get on his feet. The trainer didn't care. She smacked Sanosuke over the back of his head with his Bish-ball. Before he could complain, Sanosuke had disappeared. Still furious, the trainer stomped off down the road, headed away from Epoh City.

Sophia looked at the retreating girl and back at the group. "What's her problem? I've never seen a trainer that furious at losing. And what's her grudge with us? I've never seen her before, nor have I done her any wrong!"

Darius shook his head and squeezed his Bishoujo's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about her. We've known that chick for years. She's got a grudge against the snake, so naturally she's got a grudge against Irianna and her friends, too."

Youko blinked and looked at Kurama. Kurama looked just as confused. They asked at the same time, "She has a grudge against Marshmallow?"

Irianna crouched to the ground to retrieved the bag of coins as she spoke. "Actually, it's kind of a stupid reason to have a grudge against a snake. You see, I took Marshmallow to school as often as possible back in our home world. That girl, Sarah Grace, hates snakes almost as much as she hates me. She was constantly teasing me and insulting me, all because I had a snake for a pet. I knew that she teased me because she had a fear of snakes. It was obvious. One day, a teacher asked me to pass Marshmallow around for the class to see. Marshmallow had become something of a celebrity at our school by then. When a student tried to pass Marshmallow to Sarah, Sarah slapped their hand and deliberately knocked Marshmallow to the floor. Marshmallow made an honest attempt to escape at first, but then Sarah stepped on her tail and threatened to kill her. Instead of letting Sarah abuse her, Marshmallow reached back and bit Sarah's ankles at least five or six times each. There was no lasting damage, just a few tiny scars from little snake fangs. The wounds never even got infected."

Touya scratched his head. "She hates you and the snake that much over a few little scars? Big deal! She tried to kill your pet. She's lucky she got away with just a few bites to the ankle. So is that really it?"

Now it was Psyche's turn to narrate. "Well, Sarah's what you would consider to be your stereotypical 'prep'. Part of what that entails is that she is extremely vain. This incident happened to take place just before her first beauty pageant. She complained that she couldn't wear the dress she had chosen, because her ankles had been 'mauled by a vicious beast.' Every since then, she's tried to get back at Irianna and Marshmallow, all because Irianna refused to apologize for the snake's actions or have the 'vicious beast' destroyed. Of course, Iri's always had her best buddies to help her keep the score balanced in her and Marshmallow's favor." Psyche cast mischievous glances at her friends. Tawny and Darius grinned and chuckled at old memories. Irianna was looking thoughtful. "Well, anyway... That was fun, but let's get to Epoh! I be needin' a shower an' a proper bed to be restin' in, so I say!"

All those around her nodded, with the exception of Irianna and Jin. Irianna was still thinking about something. Jin looked indignant. "Now what ya be makin' fun o' me for? Tha's not nice! I'll get ya for that, ya scrawny, two-tone haired, ditzy--"

Psyche yelped as Jin ran at her and she took off down the road like a shot. Marshmallow hissed in surprise at the sudden burst of speed and held tightly to Jin's shoulders, neck, hair, and bit firmly on his horn. Youko was right on their heels, shouting for Jin to leave his trainer alone. Tawny and Kurama were laughing their heads off as they ran after the three of them. Darius and Sophia would have been laughing, too, but running didn't leave them with much breath for it. Touya had stayed behind. He was watching Irianna as she placed a bouquet of flowers on the soft grass lining the road. She seemed to be muttering to herself, and strange emotions showed through her eyes, yet not once did she reach up to change her contacts with her mood. Something was bothering her.

Irianna stood up from depositing the flowers she had collected the day before. She hadn't thought she would be meeting with all of her friends so soon after picking them. But what would happen to the four of them now? And why was Sarah Grace in Bishonen world? She had voiced her opinion of such interests as anime, books, and games many times, and it wasn't one of approval. So how did someone who wasn't an otaku get here? Irianna knew that none of Sarah's friends were otakus, so she couldn't have discovered the link in one of their e-mail accounts by mistake, could she? Why else would she be here, though? How did Sarah get the link?

The thoughtful girl felt eyes on her and turned to face Touya. His expression was unreadable, but something about the way his eyes glittered in the dying sunlight registered concern. Irianna just smiled and started after Jin, Psyche, Youko, and the others, Touya wordlessly following her. With a sudden burst of energry, Irianna ran after her friends. She caught up with Jin and hopped onto to his back, her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. Jin nearly tumbled to the ground in surprise. Marshmallow hissed her displeasure at nearly being squished between two much larger bodies. Touya couldn't help but grin. Even if she wasn't really in better spirits than before, Irianna still wouldn't have her friends worrying over her, even a friend as new as Touya was to her. That kind of action showed the manner of strength she possessed. Touya was starting to think more and more highly of the scrawny girl.

Before he caught up with his trainer and friend, Touya tossed a glance over his shoulder. The bouquet of flowers, lying in a patch of green grass lighted the bright orange rays of the sun at dusk, seemed to signify the start of something new, something good. The Ice Master had a feeling that he would not regret being captured by Irianna Gale McMillan.

In the distance, Epoh City was silhoutted by the setting sun.

* * *

Wow! This chapter was so much longer than the first two. I had fun writing it, though. And so much happened! Anyway, what did you think? Was the humor good? Do I have too much dialogue? Was the chapter too long? Were the first two chapter too short? Did I do a good job describing the fight scene? Actually, I was very proud of how I portrayed the battle between Sanosuke and Jin. Who cares about what I think, though! What did you think? Read and Review please! I beg of you! If you don't, Jin will be sad! Just look at him!

Jin: (big, bubbly eyes and drooping ears) You'll review, won'tcha? You'll be makin' me sad if ya don'!

See what I mean? You can't tell me you can resist that face. I certainly can't! (glomps Jin) Review please! Thank you!


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